Dirty dancing
by Attack on MLG
Summary: When a midnight report of loud music leads Kai into Kiss, the main hotspot for those seeking a good time, he is met with keeping one of the biggest secrets he isn't supposed to know about. But when problems arise, will Kai break and spill the truth and ruin his friend's reputation? Or will temptation get the better of him? Contains mature/suggestive themes/ Age rating: 15 plus
1. Accidentally on purpose

**I… I can't believe I'm bringing this back…**

 **Those who DMed and PMed about your wish for this certain story to return to the fanfictioning world… Your wish is yours to keep. As y'all can expect, this isn't going to be an exact copy of the original, because of obvious reasons. And I know I'm coming out with loads of new stories, but that's just because I wanna see if they are worth writing. So bare in mind some will take more time to update than others.**

 **But hey-ho, let's get on with it!**

* * *

Was this really the place?

The loud thumping of dance music had reportedly frustrated nearby homes, which was apparent a good five minutes ago on his journey here. Brightly coloured neon lights came into view through the small crack in the entrance door, as well as the drunk cheers and wolf whistles from, most likely, extremely horny men.

Grumbling in discomfort, Kai stuffed his hands into his hoodie pockets and strolled closer to the building, wincing at the sudden smell of alcohol hitting his nostrils. He squinted and looked up at the large neon sign above him. Kiss, he thought, was a pretty contradictory name, considering the 'workers' here were probably under strict policies regarding 'do's and 'don't's. Never the less, he quietly made his way inside.

Internally Kai rested his case with a slightly repulsed nod. There was close to no women, the only ones he could see being a female bartender and a few encouraging the dancers with enthusiastic shouts. As he shuffled over to an empty bar stool, the brunet wracked his brain trying to work out what song was being over powered by all the noise. Above the bar, another in-your-face sign glared pink.

 **No photos**

 **No videos**

 **NO TOUCHING**

"Can I get you anything?" Kai quickly turned around to meet the soft stare of a bartender; Probably a few years older than himself, really.

"Uh, no, not now, thanks." He replied, offering a stern, yet apologetic smile.

The bartender chuckled amusingly, leaning over the counter comfortably. "Ya just browsing?" He hesitated. "Actually, now that I think about it, have you ever been here before?"

"No. No I haven't." Kai held out his hand, smirking as the elder gladly shook it. "I'm Kai, by the way."

"Jason. Nice to meet ya, Kai." Jason ran a hand through his hair, before adjusting his navy bow tie smartly. "So, who takes ya fancy?"

Kai swallowed, abruptly remembering where he was. He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact. "Haha, well…"

"Thought you'd be experimenting. Nah, it's cool. Usually the confident ones go straight to the real deal~" Jason sighed dreamily, tilting his head as he gestured to the main event. "Absolute stunner, if you ask me. Black Beauty's what we call em. To be honest I'm pretty sure people only come here for the… well, you get what I mean."

The brunet watched intently over at the more crowed area of the club, quite shocked by the turn out.

The size-to-small black leather booty-shorts stuck tightly onto the round ass cheeks of the dancer, bouncing rhythmically to the loud beats as they grinded up and down on the very, very happy man. The said dancer was clad shiny black heels and stockings of the same colour, thick raven locks swooshing back and forth with every energetic hair whip. The lucky devil getting the good lap dance had his hands hovering hungrily over the plump rear as they grazed across the thicc skin with every movement. A soft gasp escaped Kai's lips as 'Black Beauty' teasingly licked his lips, staring back at the older man with a lustrous glint in his eyes.

 _Cole._


	2. Miracle text

Kai stared at the clock on the wall, and then back at Cole, before looking at the clock once more.

It was 6am.

After his discovery last night, he managed to stay in the club for as long as Cole did, and getting home minutes before the black ninja. It still baffled Kai as to how Cole wasn't extremely tired, considering all the moves he'd been showing off. Kai couldn't look at his friend the same. Especially when it came to accidentally staring at his ass from the moment his back was turned.

A glass of water was placed down in front of him, pausing his thoughts as he met the raven's gaze. He had to admit it, Cole did look more rough than he usually did, but it wasn't noticeable.

"You okay? You look super tired." He eyed his friend sceptically, taking a sip from his own glass. "I guess I can't blame you; you had to go somewhere, didn't you?" His head cocked slightly, as innocent as ever.

"Yes, I did actually." The brunet cleared his throat. "It was pretty wild, if you ask me."

Cole laughed half-heartedly, sighing in agreement. "Yeah…i can imagine."

"You look tired, too. Where did you go? Last night, that is." Kai had to hear this. He stared at the undercover slut, shocked to see Cole's expression not change a bit.

He held eye contact with the fire master. "Nah, just went out and checked around city centre."

 _Damn you're good._

* * *

Fortunately, the day had gone as planned; that being he didn't screw himself over and confront Cole. He would, eventually, when he had actual evidence. Surely Cole would have something on the ship to raise suspicions. Kai groaned and collapsed into his bed as he stared up at the ceiling. He had to go back to that place… he knew he had to. There was so much that he had to work around involving Cole's position at the club.

His shift times, his outfits, his schedule, his huge fucking pay– it was gonna take some time. Suddenly an unsettling though came up, concerning the brunet quite a bit. Clearly Cole was a 'late-night' performer, and most likely given drink before he went on the floor with a bunch or drunk-as-fuck horny old guys… had he ever been assaulted?

It was at that moment Kai realised how dangerous Cole's second job was. Daring to compare this money-maker to being a ninja… they were practically as life threatening each other.

"I'm getting way too deep into this." He breathed, sighing shamefully. "What the fuck, Cole. What the actual fuck…"

He turned his head slowly to the side as his phone buzzed on the bedside table, his hand lazily pulling it into view. "Oh shit. I got your number, didn't I?" Kai muttered, completly forgetting about exchanging contacts with Jason. Silently he read over the text, eyes widening with every word. "Whoa…"

 _Hey, Kai! Just wanted to ask if you'd be up for coming over to Kiss again? It gets proper boring up at the bar, and I'd really like some company. Plus we can drool over Black Beauty like we did last night! You don't have to come if you don't want to, but I noticed how much you enjoyed it before!_

"I didn't drool over Cole… I don't think so, anyways…" His thumbs quickly typed and sent his reply. This was too good to be true. He could ask Jason anything and the man would answer. "Right… best get prepared for some stalking, I guess."


	3. Liar Liar

**I don't usually do this at the start of my fanfics, but I'm just gonna say that this chappie does contain some violent and probably graphic scenes, depending on how well you cope with sensitive subjects. There is a small scene with Jay being involved in some stuff, but it's not that bad if you try not to imagine it in your head for too long. Basically this is the chapter that pretty much sets off for the future beef and drama in later chapters.**

 **So yeah, you've been warned.**

* * *

Squatting down to fetch his water bottle, Cole took another sip, before standing back up again. He stretched his arms above his head and down to his toes, nodding to himself firmly, pulling up the white thigh high stockings further up his legs, finding the two thick black stripes at the top of the stockings a nice contrast against his plain black converse. A small knock at the door caught him off guard slightly as he spun around to identify the intruder.

"Quit stretching and get the music on." The man glanced over to the large boom box in the far corner of the room, chuckling half-heartedly. He chewed his lip, paused, as stared at the raven's attire, spinning his finger teasingly as a silent order. Cole rolled his eyes and performed a basic, 360° twirl, having done this countless times before. Quickly he was told to stop, the shorter boy holding back a groan of boredom as his boss began ranting.

"Do me a favour and pull 'em up as far as they'll go." He watched intently as Cole stayed facing away from him, the noir booty-shorts forcing their way uncomfortably upwards. "Good. Very nice." And with that he closed the door behind him, leaving Cole alone in the room. The raven laughed pleasantly to himself and switched on the boom box, the sudden blast of music not affecting him; he was used to it.

Exhaling calmly, he readjusted the shorts so that they were more comfortable, not liking the idea of having to peel them off at the end of the night after hours of seducing. Quickly he checked the timetable stuck on the door, and then the clock, smiling sarcastically as he pursed his lips together at the thought of the waiting line. This was gonna take a while.

It only took ten minutes for the first customer to stroll on inside, the strongest scent of alcohol trailing quickly behind as the door closed smoothly. The lighting was pink and intimate, slightly dimmed, but not too dark that the eager male couldn't find his way over to the lone chair planted in the room's centre. Exhaling drunkenly, he dumped himself on the seat, rubbing his hands together excitedly. His eyes watched the young male like a hungry hawk as the dancer stood in front of him, legs parted so he could lean over and tilt the customer's head upwards with a single push of a finger to the chin.

This guy was new.

Cole loved it when he got new people; he really did. It was always the perfect opportunity to do all kinds of weird shit and they wouldn't know better.

Slyly the raven countered his spectator's smirk with a much more playful one, slowly stepping away from him and returning rather elegantly with his water bottle. Closing his eyes blissfully he clumsily lapped up the water pouring into his mouth, feeling it soak the small white crop top as it stuck transparently to his skin.

The older male leant forwards intriguingly, mouth agape in awe as the soaked dancer ran a hand through his thick hair, letting out lustful, intoxicating moan. That same moan that he'd practiced for as long as he'd gotten the job.

It wasn't long before Black Beauty was grinding and twerking onto the man, up and down to the point where his face was nearly suffocated. The guy was sporting a rather large hard-on – the erection poking occasionally at the teen's ass as it moved over it multiple times – and was coming out with some more than pleasured groans and mutters as he tired to relax himself.

Suddenly the raven let out a sharp gasp, his body tensing almost instantly.

"Aw, don't be like that~" The large pair of hands began to grope his ass cheeks soothingly, the customer's soft purr of assurance a pure lie. "Relax… Just let everything happen." He continued to massage and tend to the soft flesh, feeling the dancer shiver reluctantly under his touch.

Oh, Cole would totally break this guy right now if he could. He gritted his teeth uncomfortably as he felt the unnamed man push his thumbs up and under the bottom of his short, gazing his skin teasingly, before moving both hands downwards and stroking between his inner thighs, spreading his legs further apart.

* * *

"I SAID GET DOWN!" Another shot was fired into the ceiling, everyone ducking down even more. Kai watched as the gunman took a step closer to the bar, weapon in hand, aimed and ready to fire again. Aside from the bartenders, the majority of civilians were crouched under tables and stools, the dancers having ran to the back of the club. "If anyone moves I'll start killin!"

The brunet growled, not really that phased by the threat. He was a ninja, he could take this guy down easily. The others would be here soon anyways considering the distress call had probably been triggered. He narrowed his brows, trying to block out the cries, and slowly began to sit up more and more. Sharply the gun shifted to aim straight at him.

"I said don't move!"

Suddenly a loud crash was heard from the 'staff only' back section of the club, an angry shout following in suit. Almost instantly after, the main entrance door swung open, three familiar faces running inside, forcing the gunman to open fire. Kai quickly leapt to his feet, jumping over the bar counter and pushing as many people as possible to the annoying small exit. Jay made a quick dash to the gunman, shocking him in a desperate effort to disarm him, all the while trying to pin him down.

"EVERYONE GET OUT!" Lloyd yelled. The music still blasted through the speakers, clashing deafeningly with the dangerously rapid gun shots. Jay let out a short cry as he stumbled over and onto his back, wincing uncomfortably as he curled into a small ball on the floor. Tears pricked in the corners of his eyes as he desperately tried to stand up again and fight the pain coming from his left arm, underneath his shoulder; the small wound generously began to expel a fresh river of blood which soaked through the navy fabric of the Brunet's gi.

Jay groaned in discomfort, the loud thumps and screams and beats and cries and sirens and gunshots and screams and shouts and screams and screams; the god fucking screams were driving him insane. He wanted to open his eyes but he couldn't. He wanted to shout for help but he couldn't – Only soft, distorted murmurs. If someone had accidentally kicked him or stood on him he wouldn't of felt it. His head hurt too much, anyways. He grunted as a thick splatter of something hit his right cheek bone, triggering the lump in his throat to grow bigger as he tried to scream louder and louder.

But nothing came out. Only the high pitched whine of white noise threatening to splutter blood from his ears as his senses gave up.

Lloyd and Kai stood outside the building, watching carefully as people – both bruised or bloody – hurried out to the safety of cop cars and ambulances.

"I'm getting a bit worried." Lloyd stated not taking his eyes away from the entrance. "Zane and Jay haven't came out yet. Cole hasn't showed up either, so he's probably no where near us."

Kai licked his lips. "Oh, you have no idea~"

The Green Ninja raised an eyebrow curiously, but quickly dismissed it. Slightly more 'on-guard', the two stared down the criminal as he was sped away from the scene, before rushing back inside the club.

Shattered glass and blood decorated the floors and stages. The music was now turned off, leaving the team in a much needed silence after such a hectic night. Zane was sat in the middle of the floor, hand resting gently on his brother's shoulder as he shook him lightly. "He won't get up." The blond explained, brows narrowed in concern. "I found him passed out like this. I've tried stopping the blood but I still don't know how deep it is."

Lloyd grimaced as Zane gestured to the torn cloth, now turned a patchy crimson, wrapped tightly around Jay's left bicep as the Lightning Master stared blankly into space, expression one of pure stun as he blocked out all sounds and communication. Suddenly the three quickly turned to look in the direction of the back room, a certain team member stumbling forwards.

Cole parted his lips as he looked over everyone's faces, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"What the fuck happen to you?" Lloyd exclaimed. He raven was sporting a harsh nosebleed and cut lip, as well as a faint bruise appearing underneath his jaw near his ear; his hoodie was also a bit creased, much like his jeans.

"I heard all the noise and got in through a door round the back." He scratched the back of his neck, looking door at his feet for a few moments. "There was a guy in one of the room's who was clearly suspicious, so I questioned him. It's a shame that he didn't want a verbal fight, though."

Kai narrowed his gaze sternly; he had watched Cole go through the 'staff only' door earlier that night… So that was another lie. The brunet watched intently as he Earth Master began to realise what had happened to everyone else, clearly confused as to why he hadn't heard any of the noise when fighting in one of the private rooms.

"Okay, so where exactly is this guy? Like, right now?" He wondered aloud, turning to face his friend with darkened eyes.

Cole shrugged, remaining awfully calm. "I knocked him out and gave him to the cops." He paused and flickered his gaze over the Fire Master's attire. "Why aren't you in your gi? You didn't have a night shift tonight, did you?"

"I was already here. Made a friend the last time I was here, so I came back to see him." Kai tried to remain serious and not laugh as Cole's eyes widened slightly. "I only came minutes before the whole event, though."

"Huh." Cole nodded and rubbed his arm awkwardly, exhaling softly. Pretty much all vehicles and people had left the scene; only small groups of officers began to enter the building, ignoring the five ninja in the middle of the floor.

What a night.


	4. Mind fucking

**Yes, guys, I am not dead.**

 **Exams are now over, so that should hopefully mean that my writer's block should start to go away soon, which is good news I guess. Anyhow, just so you guys know, you can tell me certain fics you want updated; I work quicker when y'all hmu. So, yeah, go ahead and call me out via Instagram DM; not by reviewing the story itself. I love ones that say "can't wait for the next update" and shit like that, but ones that are just like "update quicker!" "Why haven't you updated?!" Yeah, they can stay to yourself. Positivity is always what keeps me going, ya know?**

 **I swear to God I rant in pretty much every A/N😂**

 **Okay, rant over! Now for the latest chappie! Enjoy!**

* * *

"You can, uh, just dump ya stuff down there — yeah, yeah, around that bit." Kai pursed his lips as he gestured to the space next to his bed, watching carefully as the grateful man placed down his duffel bag. Sighing, Jason perched himself comfortably on the edge of Kai's bed, smiling over at the younger boy.

"I'm still shocked that I'm actually here." He breathed, chuckling half-heartedly."First you invite me over… and then I find out that you're a ninja!"

Kai raised his eyebrows sarcastically and coughed into his fist. "You're here because all your shit got lost in the shooting." He stated firmly.

"What's got you all pissy?" Jason laughed, eyes glinting humourously.

"Nothing." Kai tutted as his folded his arms over his chest firmly. "Well- yes–"

"I'm all ears."

"I'm just really frustrated, y'know? The whole situation, Jay getting" He swallowed uncomfortably. " _shot_. Plus Cole… He only showed up at the end! Stupid piece of shit-"

"He was sorry."

"Yeah, I know that! But he wasn't genuinely sorry!"

"You don't know that." Jason countered, standing up and making his way over to his distressed friend. He gripped his shoulder and assured him with a firm squeeze, empathy evident in his features. Kai stubbornly avoided his gaze. " Are you always this grumpy?" He teased, stroking the brunet's shoulder with his thumb. "Hey, don't be upset. Just be glad hat you're in the position you're in. Be grateful that you're not Jay."

"Jay's the centre of attention."

"Yeah, and not for the right reasons. At least be happy that he's pretty much back to normal and can hear and see all the attention." He paused momentarily. "Huh… Guess you get jealous easily, then…" Gently his hand moved itself lower down Kai's arm to stroke it softly. The Fire Master slowly looked at the position of his hand and then back to Jason, licking his lips nervously. Tension quickly engulfed he two, and they both knew it. The taller man chuckled awkwardly and removed his hand from Kai's arm, becoming slightly flustered.

* * *

"Normal or diet?!"

"Diet!"

Jay sat comfortably on the couch, legs up and reclined in an unnecessary mass of pillows. His injured arm was propped in a sling, his hand holding his phone as he scrolled through the internet. He watched as Cole entered with a diet coke and handed it him as carefully as possible. He cocked his head in confusion as Jay didn't take the can, forcing it back into the raven's firm grasp.

Jay gave his friend a questioningly expectant nod, as if he had misheard him earlier on.

"I can't open it."

Cole uttered a small "oh" as he clicked open the can and handed it back to him, cheeks burning with embarrassment. Jay shook his head, sighing in amusement as he returned his focus back to his screen and took a slow sip.

"You okay, Cole?" He chuckled, feeling his friend sit down at the opposite end of the couch. "Haven't been takin any drugs have we?"

"What? No! Why would you say that?" Cole laughed. "Just a bit shook after the shooting… that's all." He turned so he was facing Jay, the brunet's eyes still glued to his phone. "Let's just say that you don't wanna know what went down in the back rooms."

"Bro — I was shot. I nearly died."

"Touché."

"You just ranted about how there were some dodgy guys and you got into a fight with." Jay looked up from his phone, now more serious. Cole hummed in confirmation as he fucked his hair behind his ear, brows narrowing as he felt the blue Ninja intensify is stare. "Speaking of which… man, that's one heck of a bruise. Does it hurt?'

"What? What are you talking about?" He tensed slightly as Jay prodded at the dark bruise on the side of his jaw and under his ear, the Lightning Master becoming more and more concerned.

"It's like a hickey or something." He joked, pursing his lips. "You don't have internal bleeding do you?"

Cole raised a brow in bewilderment. "No! What? Jay. Jay, you're not making any sense just leave it. It'll go down soon, anyways." He swatted his friend away from him and groaned loudly. The hesitated before speaking again – this time more sternly. "Listen. I feel so shitty for not stepping in and causing less casualties - I really am - but I didn't really have a choice. Me against some guy with a gun and bad intentions clearly wasn't going to end well. I didn't know what was going to happen until I knocked this guy out… it didn't help that he kept blocking the only exit in the room, either."

"Wow… I don't know whether to say you were being selfless or selfish."

Cole gave him a confused glance. "What do you mean?"

"I was against some guy, with a gun, and with bad intentions. At least be glad you weren't shot." Jay was now becoming more angry; the word shot dripping like venom from his lips. The Earth Master opened his mouth, as if to protest, but closed it soon after. He swallowed thickly and rose from his seat, not daring to look at Jay as he quietly left the gameroom.

The brunet sighed and rolled his eyes.

Just as he was about to return his focus back to his phone he was forced to look at the room's entrance, eyes half-lidded in sheer boredom and apathy. "What."

Cole leant hastily against the door frame with his hands behind his back, as if he were hiding something. He chewed his lip as they locked eye contact – something he instantly regretted doing. In amongst the brightness of Jay's sapphire orbs, it was evident that he was holding everything against his will not to ignore the clearly apologetic ninja before him. The raven straightened his posture and stood up from his position against the frame, not hesitating to outstretch his arms.

Jay watched curiously as he was handed the box, placing it comfortably on his lap. Considering how sternly Cole was looking at this thing, the Blue ninja figured it was pretty damn special.

"No… No way…"

Jay blinked in wonder at the contents of the box, absolutely stunned. "Dude… when… how…"

The watch was slick, clean and extremely mainstream. Jay let his mouth fall open in awe as he contemplated on touching it or not. He would dirty the white edges with a single fingerprint; it would loose all value. Quickly his head snapped up to stare suspiciously at his friend.

"How the fuck did you get this."

"I have my ways."

Jay chuckled lightly. "I get that we're Ninja and everything, but that doesn't mean we're loaded with cash. Teach me your ways."

Cole shrugged. "I saved up." He smirked playfully. "Think of it as an early birthday present."

Deciding not to ask anymore questions, Jay requested for Cole to assist him when putting it around his wrist, not wanting to cause himself pain of any sort.

"What's going on?"

Kai and Jason stood in the doorway, equally curious. Cole stepped back as Jay admired his new accessory, eyes wide and joyous. The Fire Master narrowed his brows as Cole flickered his gaze over Jason, the elder doing the same.

Oh yeah.

"Jason, this is Cole. Cole, this is Jason." He forgot that the two hadn't met yet. The make's shook hands and greeted each other as they would any other person, before Kai leaving them to bond or whatever.

Kai quickly made his way back into his bedroom, collapsing exhaustingly onto his bed with a loud groan.

"Ugh… mind fuck…"

 _I know about Cole but Cole doesn't know that, but Jason knows about Cole but doesn't know that the person is actually Cole, but Cole thinks that I don't know about him and he probably hasn't acknowledged Jason because they work at different areas but Jason definitely knows who Cole is, but Cole's not actually Cole, Cole's just fucking about but no one knows this because he's so professional but he still doesn't know that I know so I'm the superior in this chain of events which makes me Godgghhhhhhahhhhhhhhh~_

Kai slammed his head face-down into his pillow as he felt his brain desintagrate into mush.

"Stupid." _Thump_.

"Stupid." _Thump_.

"Stupid." _Thump_.

He'd fucked up.


	5. Dirty Minds

**SUPER LATE UPDATE! It's the summer holidays, so I've got a lot planned, which is why there's been a lack of updates. Just thought I'd get that out the way! Anywho, enjoy!**

* * *

Kai watched the two as they laughed together, Cole obviously finding Jason's previous comment quite amusing. The brunet proceeded to stare at them from the opposite couch, sharp eyes occasionally flicking back to his cell phone placed tightly in his grip.

"What's so funny?" Jason chuckled lightly as he and Cole turned to face Kai. He'd obviously sounded more serious than he'd expected.

The charming man smirked and glanced at the raven. "I was just telling Cole about how weird you all are-"

"Not in a bad way, I hope." Jay interjected, taking a seat next to Kai. The red ninja adjusted his position so his injured friend could be more comfortable, uttering a small "thanks" as the conversation continued.

"No! No, not at all. You're all so laid back, you know? It's a nice change to be honest. The rowdiness of serving horny drunks isn't as easy as people think it is."

Jay scoffed, grinning. "I can imagine; especially with the _attractive_ stripers and all…"

Jason rolled his eyes. " Tch. Sorry, Mr 180 degrees, I wasn't aware that money makers couldn't be attractive."

"Females are the only exception, hence the heterosexuality." Jay countered with a playful smirk. "Anywho… What, uh, what kinda stuff do you hear as a bartender? Surely some weird shit gets rumoured about?"

"Yup." The brunet leaned forwards, giving Kai, Jay and Cole intriguing glances. "Okay– I'm gonna set the scene. Queen of the show – Black Beauty – has just left the stage – the entire crowd had boners-"

"W-Wait." Kai raised a brow in disbelief. "Everyone had boners?!" Jason nodded firmly, almost proudly, as he continued.

"Yeah, so basically I overhead these two guys having a stupid argument about God-knows-what, so I naturally stepped in and tried to calm them down." He paused, lowering his voice. "They were planning on spit roasting the hoe."

Cole instantly choked on his drink. Quickly he placed the glass of juice back down on the coffee table and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, cheeks flushed pink. Kai swallowed thickly, feeling his cheeks heat up as well.

"You alright, Cole?" He asked, reaching forwards to place a hand on his friend's knee.

The raven nodded anxiously, brows narrowed in discomfort. "Y-Yeah. It-a-It just went down the wrong hole…" Green, glazed eyes locked with Kai's; the taller boy was clearly concerned.

"Jason," Jay was quick to return back to the conversation. "What's… uh… what's spit roasting? I swear that's when people cook a pig over a fire or something? Y'know, with the stick thing goin through it?"

"Where does the stick go through, _Jay?_ " The elder asked sarcastically.

"Uh… Through the mouth and the…oh."

"Mmhm."

Jay licked his lips uncomfortably as he looked downwards, feeling extremely stupid. "Wow…"

Jason sighed and smirked lightly, laughing tiredly. "Yeah… the joys of bartending! I don't really blame them, though. Anyone would do anything to get a night alone with that naughty vixen." Kai shot a quick glance at Cole, the black ninja staring blankly at the floor with a growing flush. The brunet narrowed his glare, not liking the elder's crude choice words.

"That's a bit, ahh…"

"Disrespectful?" Jay cut in firmly, locking eyes with Jason. "I get that it's their job and all, but you can't really judge someone by how well they can seduce you. Sure, they could perform in a slutty matter, but they could be a completely different person when they aren't working. They're probably really nice and kind and innocent-"

"I think _submissive_ is the correct term." Jason coughed into his fist and smirked slightly.

"What I'm saying is tone down on your sexual fantasies with this, uh, this 'Black Beauty', okay? We save those types of convos for when the drinks come out." He chuckled hastily and scratched the back of his neck, sighing.

It fell silent.

"Nice watch, by the way." Jason gestured to Jay's wrist, the flashy accessory now being the centre of attention. "That's the latest model, right?"

The blue Ninja nodded somewhat proudly as he glanced down at his wrist with a small grin. "Yeah, yeah! Cole… Cole actually got it for me." He muttered, looking up at the raven opposite him. Cole blushed slightly at the grateful expression on his friend's face. He looked so calm and optimistic – He envied him. He'd been shot in the arm for crying out loud! Jay confused him sometimes.

"Considering your luck lately… I figured you'd be needing something to cheer you up."

Jason laughed lightly and cast a side glance at Cole. "They're hella expensive though! How'd you make up all the money?"

"I have my ways."

"Fair enough…" He pursed his lips and narrowed his brows slightly. "Hey, Cole…" His gaze met the raven's. "Can I speak to you, privately, please? Like, not in here?" Jay and Kai exchanged confused glances as Jason stood up, quickly followed by Cole.

"Where d'you wanna talk?" Cole asked as they made their way out the room, still in earshot.

" _Your bedroom would be the best place, I guess…_ "

Jay raised a brow in bafflement, chuckling nervously. "Heh, well that was weird~ Hm?" He watched as Kai clenched his fists, visibly tensing. "Are you okay, Kai? You look a bit uncomfortable-"

The Fire Master groaned as he stared at his friend with darkened eyes. "Jay… Jay, you wouldn't understand…"

"Kai, it's obviously bothering you. You can tell me. You trust me, right?"

"I…" Kai's expression suddenly turned desperate, almost miserable as he struggled for words. "Jay… Jay I need to tell you something…"


	6. The truth

"Cole's a stripper, Jay."

Jay let his jaw fall agape in shock as he blinked. "You're kidding, right? Listen, Kai, I totally understand if you have certain fantasies… but out of all the shit your perverted teenage mind could feed you, it had to be about my best mate being a hoe?!"

"You don't understand, this isn't a joke!" Kai exclaimed, trying to stay as calm as possible. He sighed. "How do you think he could afford that watch, huh? Does he suddenly have a secret vault of cash that we didn't know about?"

"He said-"

" Cole's 'ways' are sneaking out late at night and being a slut in front of horny, drunk men, Jay! He gives them all rock hard boners as they bask in his seductive glory, every single person wanting fuck him in whatever skimpy outfit he's wearing–"

"Kai shut up. Just shut up for a moment." Jay demanded rather impatiently as he turned away from his friend, lips pursed into a firm line.

He paused.

"My head hurts, Kai. Just shush for a bit, please… Just confirm with me right now that what you are saying is one hundred percent true and you're not bullshitting me."

"I swear on Nya's life, Jay. That's how much I'm trusting you not to tell anyone about our conversation."

"Nya? Oh jeez, oh fuck…" His eyes widened at the hearing if the raven's name, swallowing thickly. "G-Guess you b-better tell me all about it then."

Kai sighed in somewhat relief as he sat up more comfortably on the couch. "You remember that late night patrol I was sent out on a couple nights ago? Hm, yeah, that's when I saw him."

"The one about the loud music?"

"Yeah. I was at the bar and started a conversation with Jason – that's how we became friends. He was speaking so lustrous about one of the dancers… it was intriguing." He licked his lip anxiously. "When he gestured to said dancer, I didn't know how to react."

"Wow… so does Cole know that you know?"

"No, no he doesn't. It's annoying, because Jason hasn't realised that Cole is the same person, and I don't know whether Cole recognises him."

Jay narrowed his gaze. "Well he was acting weird when Jason was talking about him-"

"Exactly!" The brunet exclaimed. "I have a feeling that Cole now aware that Jason knows his alter ego, which is kind of helpful I guess?"

"I don't know, man… it all some kinda fucked up if you ask me." The blue Ninja chuckled lightly, before locking eyes with the elder. "If I were you, I would just ignore that whole thing. Yes, it's super odd and uncomfortable to know that someone you hold so dear is exploiting himself for cold hard cash, in order to buy his friends nice gifts and potential buy their friendship- oh my god that is fucked up."

"That's my point. We can't confront him and tell him to quit, because then he'll feel upset that we lied to him. But we also can't let him continue this, because as soon as it clicks in someone's head who this person actually _is_ , then our reputation is gonna go to shit."

"What's his dad gonna say?" Jay muttered.

"What?"

"If it gets out? What's he gonna say? They already have issues, so what if they grow farther apart? That's just gonna send him into a downward spiral of depression, trust issues and anxiety, ultimately leading to the feeling of worthlessness and suicidal tendencies!"

Kai stared at him in bewilderment. He blinked. "What the fuck have you been studying?"

"Nya leant me some of her books a while back – she says that reading would be better than playing video games all day. She's not wrong."

"Well, uh, glad to know she's helping you out-"

"Kai? Jay?" The two turned their attention to the door. Cole offered a small smile as he scratched the back of his neck, exhaling. "Jason and I just had a chat… um… he's wondering whether we could all camp out on the deck tonight? Kinda like a sleepover thingy? He just wants to get to know us all some more and stuff like that."

Kai and Jay exchanged glances. "He's ment to be in my room though."

"Yeah, yeah, he will after tonight. He said he feels kinda bad about pissing you guys off earlier, and wants to start over." The raven leant against the wall, waiting patiently for an answer.

Jay sighed. "I mean, I guess we could? Sensei's out for a while so we don't have anyone to say "no"."

The red ninja cleared his throat before speaking and looked Cole straight in the eyes. "Nya would be with us, wouldn't she?"

"He didn't mention her but I'm sure she could if she wanted to." He shrugged. "Why, exactly?"

"Just wondering. It would be a bit weird wanting every member of the team, minus the only girl."

"If you think that this is all one big trap to get all the dude up in one big orgy then you're completely wrong. He genuinely wants to make friends, not fuck buddies. Just because he worked at the club doesn't mean he's craving sex twenty-four/seven. It's not like he's one of the dancers-"

"So the dancers are always thirsty."

"N-No! That's not what I said." Cole stammered, his cheeks flushing a pale pink. "How would I know anyways?"

"Just wondering." Smirking, Kai let out a laugh. "Nah, yeah, it's fine. We'll all meet up there at like eightish or whatever ."

Nodding, Cole did a quick thumbs up before exiting the room. "Cheers."

Once out of earshot, Jay glared at the taller male. "What the fuck was that all about?" He hissed. "Christ, you really know how to make people uncomfortable."

"I'm not the one who said they were a slut. He said that, so I repeated him. There's quite a difference."

He growled in irritation and faced away from him. "Y'know I really wish you hadn't've told me."

"At least you didn't have to sit witness it. Just imagine your best friend ever being referred to as a 'toy' by a bunch of middle-aged men. Just imagine that for a second."

Kai watched smugly as the firm line of anger that was Jay's lips fell slowly into a horrified frown, his mouth opening as if to speak. His eyes flickered about in astonishment and he exhaled heavily. "Fuck."

"Yup. Fuck indeed. But hey," He nudged him playfully and gestured to his wrist. "at least you got a nice watch."


	7. Midnight snack ( last chapter response)

**Due to the only reviews on my last chapter being constructive criticism (which I thank you guys for) I have written a short response down below, so if you were wondering about all that jazz, please give it a read before or after you read the chapter! And if not… have fun reading! :)**

 **In response to the concern on the over use of f-bombs, all I can say is that I didn't realise until I got the reviews. I do make sure to re-read and check over each chapter but obviously I wasn't thinking about my readers that are more sensitive.**

 **This also brings me to my next point, about the rating, and how it should be boosted to an M. I feel as if my story isn't worthy of an M rating, just because it doesn't involve any smut/explicit content. And no, I'm not saying that my story is completely innocent, I'm just saying that I feel as if a T rating is appropriate for its contents, as well as potentially loosing readers once they notice the new rating — I know people that don't read smut, but like the whole 'sexual but not _too_ sexual' kinda fics, so I like to think that it caters to their interests also. **

**In addition to this, I added some warnings in the summary incase anyone under a certain age were to come across it. All in all, I hope I've cleared things up as well as I can.**

* * *

Jay groaned loudly as he leant back onto his sleeping bag and pillows, running his hand down his face irritably. "It's soooooo hotttttt~"

It was clear that the group had brushed off the weather forecast for that evening, as once the sun began to set, the heat of the day refused to leave. Kai took another gulp of his coke can and placed it to his side, also sitting on his sleeping bag and pillow. The area was scattered with blankets and cushions and drinks and portable chargers, not to mention the growing pile of shirts and hoodies thrown carelessly about.

It was nice.

Jason fidgeted awkwardly on the spare sleeping bag underneath him and glanced once again down at his phone. Slowly but surely it starting to get darker, and yet still no sign of Zane, Lloyd, Nya or Cole. He could feel the tension growing between him and the two ninja.

"Okay, so I found some random stuff which looks pretty good." Lloyd muttered to himself as he strolled up onto the deck, six-pack of beer in hand. "I dunno who wants to get smashed but I'm definitely having one drink while Wu's out." He chuckled devilishly and dumped the bottles in the middle of the circle-like shape of bedding. Kai was quick to reach over and pop off the cap, smiling widely as he gladly swallowed down the cold alcohol. Jay, despite how much he wanted too, denied the offer and stuck to his Sprite, not wanting to risk going too overboard.

The eldest of the four, Jason, cautiously sipped it. He'd never been allowed to drink on the job, which wasn't that fun considering he worked pretty much all week. Besides, this was some much-needed beer.

* * *

Cole sat impatiently on the countertop as he watched Zane place the third batch of cookies into the tin with unnecessary precision, making the raven even more hungry. He stared with desperate eyes as the blond laughed at his mannerisms. "You do amaze me, Cole."

The shorter of the two narrowed his gaze in curiosity. "What's that s'posed to mean?"

"How someone so destructive has a weakness of baked goods." He grinned mockingly. "It's quite humourous."

Cole nodded somewhat proudly as he jumped off from the countertop and over to his friend who stood with the tin of cookies. He looked duo at him with wide, emerald eyes. "Can I have some then?" His hand reached into the tin as he pulled one out, before taking a large bite.

Zane rolled his eyes. "I don't know why I didn't see that coming."

"Hm, yeah, that's how amazing I am." He mused smugly, cleanly finishing off the cookie only moments later. As they made their way up and out onto the ships deck, Zane made sure to keep the tin wrapped tightly in his arms, especially with his friend stalking it like a hawk. It wasn't long before the pair were getting comfortable on their bedding and helping themselves to drinks and food – Zane didn't even bother attempting to get intoxicated, it was a waste of his time – and soon a conversation started.

At first it was Lloyd and Jason discussing their favourite alcohol and what cocktails he could make, but soon enough everyone was changing the subject to whatever their who desired.

"So, when you and your job and all that, what kind of customers did you come across?" Jay asked intriguingly.

Jason snorted fondly at what must've been a memory or some sort, his lips curling into a smirk. "Most of them are in the same category, I guess? Little bit lonely, little bit horny, little bit drunk? Considering most he attention is on the stages, the bar isn't as full as you'd imagine."

Suddenly the blue ninja turned to his right, now staring deep into his friend's amber eyes. "What was it like when you were in there, Kai? Hm?"

Kai tensed angrily at the unwanted question, knowing exactly what the latter was doing. Now put on the spot and visibly uncomfortable, the red ninja smiled sweetly at Jay, sarcasm all over his features. "What a wonderful question, Jay!" Jay returned the smile with one of his own. "And for your information, it was for a patrol, and then to catch up with a new friend. Each time I didn't take any notice to the events around me, and focused on the task at hand."

Jason raised a brow in confusion, sending Kai an unsure glance.

"Fair enough." Jay stated, raising his can and taking a long sip. "Thanks for answering my question. I appreciate it."

"No problem." Kai growled, glad it was over. He took a quick glance over at Cole on the other side of the blue ninja, watching as he yawned tiredly into his palm. _All those late nights must be catching up to him…_

His mind raced back to his first concerns of his friend's 'job', the times of the shifts. It was clear that the raven worked from at least nine onwards, most likely until the earlier hours of the next morning.

It was depressing.

As far as Kai knew, Cole got this job for a good reason – a very good reason. If he eventually cracked the earth master and finally got to ask " _why?_ ", only to be answered with " _I needed money_ ", then he would be set up in flames. The thing that triggered him the most, however, was how no one had suspected a thing. Now that really annoyed him.

"Tired?" Zane smirked as the raven stretched his arms above his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

He hummed in objection, a small smile playing on his lips. "Nu-uh. Just preparing for zero sleep! It's gonna get so hot."

"Well, if you feel poorly then do tell me." The blond spoke more firmly, now addressing he got up as a whole. "Kai, I take it you'll be fine?"

"More or less." He shrugged.

* * *

Jay pursed his lips as he shook the person to his right urgently, yet quietly. Kai groaned as he was forced awake and automatically reached for his phone. It was 01:52. He stared up at Jay in irritation. "What."

"It's Cole." He hissed anxiously. "He's gone."

"What?" The brunet slowly sat up and peered over his friend at the empty sleeping bag. "Shit. Where's Jason-"

"He's still here." Jay silenced him. "Probably just gone to the toilet or get a snack."

Kai narrowed his brows and chuckled softly. "Cole doesn't get midnight snacks… does he?"

"Heh, or time I caught him chowing down on the leftovers from Nya's birthday cake…" Kai shot him a confused glare. "… I probably shouldn't've told you about that."

Kai nodded in agreement, but brushed it off. As quietly as possible he clumsily stood up, hushed Jay, and blindly strolled down into the ship. The sudden flash of light that followed the click of the light switch caused the fire master to shield his eyes and momentarily freeze. Every room and corridor he searched, yet still no Cole. Kai even bothered to check Lloyd and Nya's bedroom, making sure not to wake them.

It was only when he walked past the kitchen did he stop.

Cole was stood at the fridge, eyes flickering hungrily over its contents. He was clad in his black boxers and a familiar maroon hoodie that was a size too large, much to the Fire Master's annoyance.

"What are you doing."

The Earth Master flinched as he spun around to lock eyes with the elder. "I'm hungry." He spoke firmly as he closed the fridge and began searching though the higher cabinets with the help of his tiptoes, eventually pulling down a box of what appeared to be cereal. The raven exhaled as he propped himself up on the countertop and dug his hand into the box.

"Why are you wearing my hoodie?" Kai asked, taking a seat on one of the stools at the island in the kitchen's centre.

He watched as Cole flushed as he defended himself. "I was cold and your shit was the closest."

"Why are you wearing boxers, then?"

"Funnily enough I thought I wouldn't be interupted." He countered sassily, huffing.

A few moments passed before Kai spoke again, this time for his personal benefit. "How're you and Jason getting on? What did he talk to you about earlier?"

"Earlier?"

"When he wanted to talk in your room."

Cole frowned. "You know. It was about the whole sleepover concept." He gestured to their current situation. "Hence now. Present. Here."

"Why the bedroom, though?" The brunet paid close attention to his friend's body language and tone, not wanting to miss anything. "He literally could've asked us as well."

Cole fell silent.

Kai licked his lips in growing concern. "Cole…?"

"He asked about some other stuff, that's all." He trailed off, placing the cereal box to one side and sighing. "More personal stuff."

"Would you like to share it with me? It's obviously bothering you."

"No, no I'm good. There's too much context – you would understand-"

"If it's about you being gay, then I already know."

Cole froze. His cheeks darkened as he looked at the elder with wide eyes. Kai kept his stare firm and unmoving, unsure whether he should regret what he came out with.

"E-Excuse me? I'm not gay-"

"I beg to differ."

The Earth Master was now glaring. "Where's your evidence, then."

Kai hesitated. They were starting to argue and it would ultimately shut down the raven instantly if he were to confirm him, which was what he wanted. "You've got a hickey on your jaw."

"Its a bruise from the shooting."

"Bruises don't go that colour. I've had and given my fair share, and trust me, that's a hickey."

"So what if it is?"

"It appeared after the shooting. Which was at a gay club."

The younger groaned in annoyance, running his hands down his face. "Jesus Christ, Kai. I beat up some bad guys! You know this!"

"How come you have a hickey then."

"Before I got to the club, I went into town and met some chicks."

"Just you?"

"Yes."

"Fuckin loner." Kai snickered. "You're still gay, though."

Cole huffed angrily and grabbed the cereal box in his hand. "I will lob this so hard at your head-"

"Where d'you get _those_ bruises from?" Kai pointed at the raven's legs, specifically at his thighs.

He swallowed uncomfortably as he put down the box, sighing. "The fight."

"Enemies don't go for the lower half of the body - you know this. So why…" _oh no._

"That's not always the case." Cole insisted, fidgeting slightly. "You can never predict an enemy's next move."

He wasn't wrong, and that annoyed Kai greatly. He watched sternly as the younger distracted himself with the cereal and continued eating, ultimately avoiding the brunet's existence as a whole.

"Why are you up so late?"

Cole slowly met Kai gaze with an irritated glare. He swallowed his mouthful and wiped his mouth harshly with his sleeve. "Why are _you_ up so late?"

 _Smartass_. "I needed a piss."

The raven snorted mockingly. "Yet you want talk with me?"

"Well excuse me for showing concern over a friend."

"You literally excused me of being gay, and then picked at my battle scars. Wouldn't call that showing concern."

Frustrated, Kai inhaled. Slowly he rose from his seat and met his gaze with a glare. "I'm gonna go and take that piss. When I come back you better be asleep." Quickly he spun on his heel and strolled to the doorway, before turning around one last time.

Cole grinned smugly over at him as he put another handful of cereal into his mouth.

"Goodnight, Cole."

"It's the morning-"

" _Goodnight_ , Cole."


	8. Midnight snack pt 2

Kai looked over at his alarm clock as he left his bedroom, huffing tiredly.

02:37

Wow. He grumbled and made his way back through the ship, slowly dragging his feet as he struggled to stay awake. Rubbing his eyes as he turned the corner, the brunet inhaled frustratedly as he locked eyes with a certain raven.

"Oh, hey, Kai."

Cole winked at the elder, stopping momentarily from eating his chocolate bar. Expectantly he flicked his gaze down towards the island where another male sat. Jason was quick to spin round on the stool and shoot Kai a cheeky grin. "Mornin'."

"Why are you both up?" Kai groaned, mainly focused on Cole. "I told you to go to bed."

"You're not my dad."

"Hm, yeah, but I'm also smarter and more sensible than you." The younger frowned childishly as he took a bite out of his candy, watching as the taller male turned his attention onto Jason. "Couldn't sleep?"

"No, not really. I would be awake this time during work hours anyways – I just got hungry." He nodded over at Cole. "I was pleasantly surprised."

"What have you two been talking about then?" He asked curiously.

"Stuff-"

"Um, no, we've been discussing what we're gonna do if crime picks up. It's not like we can just leave Jason here on his own."

"D'you have a home?" Kai locked eyes with the elder firmly. "Somewhere to stay?"

"Of course I do-"

"Well then. If you're well enough to go home then you can go home." He didn't mean to sound rude or harsh. "You're welcome to stay he for a bit, just remember that you do have to go at some point."

Jason nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah, I totally get you. Being heroes isn't easy, eh?"

"Depends." Cole interjected, smiling to himself as he let out a soft laugh. "It's either fighting all day or sleeping all day."

"Wow."

"Yup. But" He shuffled off the countertop and strolled over to the trash can, throwing away the wrapper. "It's routine. 'Can't really remember what I did before joining the team. Heck, my life would be so weird without doing all this."

"What d'you do then? Surely you guys have a social life? What goes on outside of your ninja lives?"

Kai cast a sly glance at the raven in question, watching as he leaned against the the island on the opposite side to Jason, shrugging. "I dunno. Sometimes we go down to the Noodle House, see Skylar." He shot his teammate a cheeky smirk. "Weekends usually consist of movie nights or drunken nights, heh."

"So like tonight?"

"Guess so. This nights a lot more tame." Cole laughed. "Sensei doesn't like us drinking, so sometimes we all get soooooo hammered. Kai's the worst, though."

"Wha- No!"

Cole raised his eyebrows expectantly. "Liar!" He exclaimed, before snapping his head back round to met Jason's gaze. "One time he forgot what his name was. That's how drunk he can get."

Kai opened his mouth as if to protest, but closed it reluctantly when realising he wouldn't win.

"Woah, that's so bad!" Jason chuckled. "What does it take to get you guys wasted then? How much drink?"

"Jay and Cole are lightweights." The Fire Master stated bluntly. "Zane can't get drunk… uh, Lloyd's about average… It takes a lot for me."

"So you're a lightweight?" The elder smirked at the raven.

Cole blushed in embarrassment and folded his arms over his chest. "No. And I'll prove it."

* * *

Nya glanced in confusion over at her brother as she strolled into the kitchen. Kai was slumped over on the island with his head in his hands, eyes squinted tiredly. To his right was Jason, quietly on his phone and taking sips from a glass of orange juice. Cole was snoring softly as he slept on the…floor. The Earth Master was sprawled out on the hard kitchen floor, clad in Kai's hoodie and a pair of boxers.

"What happened in here…?" She whispered, catching Jason's attention.

He grinned sleepily as he met her gaze. "I, uh… heh… Kai called Cole a lightweight… he tried to prove him wrong~"

"Sounds like something Cole would do. Stubborn as always." She rolled her eyes and stepped carefully over the sleeping body on the floor, fetching a glass and pouring herself some water. "Do me a favour and wake him up."

Jason nodded as placed his phone down, before nudging the brunet's shoulder firmly. The red ninja groaned and swatted away his hand, brows narrowing in discomfort. "Nhh… piss off…"

"Wake up, fire boy." Jason teased, but to no avail. He leaned in closer to the teen's ear, lowering his voice down to a stern whisper. "I said _wake up_."

Glancing at him momentarily out the corner of his eye, Kai slowly at up and stretched his arms above his head, grumbling under his breath and taking note of the elder's odd stare.

Nya greeted her sibling with an amused grin. "Good sleep?"

"What d'you think?"

"Heh, well at least you're not on the floor." She cast her attention to the Earth Master. Kai, confused, leant forwards and peered curiously over to other side of the island, brows furrowing.

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but struggled to find the correct words. "H… How? Why? I don't… I don't understand."

"You passed out first. Cole was a close second. " Jason stated bluntly as a small smirk played on his lips. "His mini celebration only lasted a couple seconds."

"Good. That what he gets for challenging me to a drink-off." Kai muttered almost boastfully. He slowly retrieved his phone from his pocket and gladly took a photo of his teammate for future blackmail and manipulation purposes. "Hell yeah- ah!" He winced as his phone slipped from his fingers and straight down onto his friend's stomach.

"Ugh…" Cole groaned uncomfortably as his eyes opened to stare up, directly into Kai's. Upon noticing the phone and the brunet's guilty expression, he reluctantly handed it up to him. "Why… ah… why am I on the floor… in the kitchen…?"

"Wow, you really did get smashed didn't you?" Nya giggled, helping him up. His cheeks were dusted with pink as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. Upon realising his attire, his cheeks darkened even more.

"Why am I wearing your hoodie? A-And my boxers?"

Kai replied with a snort of laughter as he looked down at his phone, blocking out the younger purposely.

Cole rolled his eyes and began to stumble towards the door, his hangover starting to take a toll on his mental state. Jason smirked as he discreetly positioned his phone to get a full view of the drunken teen, recording every second.

The raven turned to face him with a soft smile and blushing cheeks, eyes half-lidded and hazy. "I… I'm gonna go take a shower…"

 _Annnnnd stop~_ The elder swallowed as his finished recording, sliding his phone back into his pocket.


	9. And eye for an eye

**This chapter definitely thickens the plot to pretty big extent, and it's really gay, so yeah. It also goes a bit into Cole's side of the story, considering there's only two characters focused on in the chapter. Kinda been low on feedback and reviews lately, so I'd really appreciate some! Please enjoy!**

* * *

Cole stood in front of the bathroom mirror, moving his wet bangs out of his face.

He positioned himself so he could examine his side profile, fingers grazing over his undesirable marking on his jaw. It had faded quite a bit, much to his relief, but was still there… also with the memories.

His brows narrowed as he pushed back the thoughts.

Not now.

Anxiously he stepped back and looked at his legs through the mirror as a frown spread across his face. "Guess they're all darkening… just what I need…"

He knew that it was bad for his mental health to be blaming this all on himself, but that was the truth. Sure, he wasn't expecting such a night, but in the end he was the one not fighting back. He was the one who decided to give up.

His hand found its way to his ass, lifting up his fresh pair of boxers as he held the flesh in his hand. His moneymaker was the only thing brining him in the cash.

He swallowed.

"Don't… don't do this, Cole, n-not now." Cole choked, wiping his eyes harshly with his palms. "Quit being so pathetic… god…" He breathed onto the mirror and carefully ran his shaking index finger up and down, exhaling heavily as a couple tears slipped from his eyes.

Whore was written in bold letters in the condensation.

He licked his lips as he stared at the word and himself. He was hungover, tired and full to the brim with insecurity.

* * *

Jason watched patiently as the teen followed his order and locked the door. The way his hips naturally swayed and the delicateness of his movements drove him mentally insane as he fidgeted slightly.

The raven was dressed to accidentally impress, in a FOD tank top and a pair of ripped black skinny jeans, much to the brunet's pleasure. Especially since the rips went up his thighs as well.

"So," Cole began, plopping himself down next to him. He'd just came out the shower, so his hair was damp and wavy, and his cheeks were slightly flushed. "what d'you want?"

 _You._

"Ugh, I feel like the others aren't ready excepting me that much. It seems only you and Nya are in my side, that's all."

He cocked his head. "Really? I thought Kai invited you? Wouldn't you too be the closest?"

"Yeah, I thought that too." He looked at him sadly. "But now I have you! You're really kind anyways, so that's probably why were friends!"

Cole was slightly taken aback by the compliment. _Whore_. "T-Thanks. I've been feeling quite low lately, so it's nice to hear that."

Jason furrowed his brow in concern. "You got real beat up during the whole attack, didn't you?"

Cole nodded.

"I wonder what everyone else got up too, now that I mention it."

"Like who?"

"Black Beauty. Wonder what he's up to." The elder then noticed him looking down at his feet. Must be tired. "I reckon he's doing nothing. Probably living a normal life, spending all that money they got."

Cole forced out a small laugh.

"Or he's leaving it in the past, maybe? Wasting his talents by lying to everyone? Or, better yet, he's sitting next to me right now pretending that I'm talking a load of bullshit?"

The raven let his lips part in shock, eyes widening and cheeks turning red. This wasn't happening. His heart beating way too fast.

"Don't try and lie to me, Cole."

The unsettling shock kept him silent, tears pricking in the corners of his eyes.

"Don't feel ashamed, either." Jason placed his hand on the younger's leg, stroking his inner thigh with his thumb. "To many people, you're seen as a miracle – a stunning one at that."

Cole closed his legs and pressed his thighs together, fidgeting uncomfortably. "Move your hand before I hurt you."

Surprisingly the brunet complied, despite his eyes being fixated on other things. He pretended to struggle to free his hand, Cole holding his breath as he felt the hand graze over his crotch.

"You can't tell anyone about my whole thing. I mean it-"

"I expect something in return."

"What? N-No. If we're friends then you need to promise me that you can't let this slip. Please."

His only reply was a devilish smirk, paired with lustful, hazy eyes.

"I'm not doing anything with you, Jason." Cole stood up quicker than he thought he would, making the short distance to the door, pulling down on the doorknob, frowning as it wouldn't open.

" _You locked it._ " Cole tensed as he felt hot breath tickle his ear, the thump when a hand was placed either side of his head being another red light. He continued trying to unlock the door, his violently shaking hands proving an issue. The feeling of the taller body pressing and sandwiching him between him and the door quickened his heart rate.

"I swear to god, if you hurt me–"

Jason took hold of the shorter make's jaw and forced him to meet his stare. He laughed smugly. "I'm not gonna hurt you, sweetie." He removed one of his hands from the wall and clamped it down on his prey's waist, slowly moving it lower to slide into the tight pair of jeans. Cole's breath hitched at the sudden action, reluctantly squirming in discomfort. He shouldn't be this submissive. He was the Master of Earth for God's sake.

 _Whore._

"Bed. Now."

Cole stared at him with worry-ridded eyes. He shuddered as the hand was removed from inside his jeans and returned to his face, grazing across his cheek despite him turning away. "You're so cute when you get shy. It's a pleasant contrast to the stage, don't you think? Now, I want you to go and sit on your bed. Don't take off your clothes… that's my job."

The raven swallowed thickly as the elder stepped to the side and walked over to a black duffle bag next to the bed, crouching down as he pulled out a bottle of… stuff.

Carefully the Earth Master fiddled with the lock, as soon as it clicked swinging open the door. He gasped as a firm hand gripped his wrist, Jason staring down at him with an amused stare.

"I won't say anything if you don't." The brunet grinned. "Remember that, runt."


	10. Detective work

**Before you read this chapter, make sure you've read the previous two, just in case of confusion. I updated twice yesterday, so the story didn't go back up to the top of the feed. Just a little PSA. Like I said in the chapter before, reviews have been low, and I just wanna know what you guys are thinking about the story so far, so feedback is greatly appreciated. Enjoy!**

* * *

Today was the day.

The day that Jason said his goodbyes and departed back to his home.

Despite no one really getting along with him, everyone still wished him well and safe travels. The brunet remained leant against the wall of the control room, phone in hand and a bored expression on his face. He watched silently as the elder was gifted with hugs and handshakes, as if the man had one an award.

He'd already given a hug, so he had stepped aside.

He noticed that Cole had distanced himself also, busying himself with an ice-pop.

The raven was staring into space, subconsciously sucking on the frozen treat as he completely zoned out. He watched in amusement as some of the juice trailed out of the corner of his mouth and down his chin, a quick shove back into reality. Cole wiped his mouth with his sleeve as he made sure no one had noticed.

The two locked eyes from across the room.

Kai smirked as the latter's face darkened. It wasn't long before Kai was leant next to him, nodding towards Jason. "You not gonna say bye?"

"I, uh, I already have." Cole stammered, finishing off the ice-pop and licking the stick clean. He raised a brow when given a puzzled look. "What?"

"N-Nothing." Kai licked his lips as he changed the subject, too disturbed by the way his friend had licked the wooden stick. "You should really go and say something-"

"No." His voice was more stern now. "I told you we've already spoken. Now drop it."

 _Oh damn._

The Fire Master raised his hands in defence, laughing hastily. "Okay, wow, chill out-"

"Cole!" The short boy flinched at the man's sudden appearance, inhaling. "Not gonna say goodbye?"

Kai furrowed his brows in confusion, sending the raven a bewildered glance. He watched as Jason whispered something into Cole's ear, before placing his arm over his shoulders. "I think I left some stuff in Cole's room." He addressed the brunet with a smile. The two walked out of the control room, the Earth Master staring back at Kai with an unreadable expression.

Jason left about an hour later.

As soon as the door had closed Kai had dashed into the bedroom of the Earth Master, swinging open the door.

Cole was sat on his bed, head buried in a book and a packet of crisps next to him. He glanced up from his book and met the elder's wide eyes with an irritated glare. "Do you mind?"

"An hour." Kai breathed, letting himself inside and closing the door. He climbed onto the bed and sat with crossed legs. "Who takes an hour look for something."

"He couldn't find his tripod-" The raven hesitated abruptly.

"Tripod?"

"Y-Yeah, he wanted to get some shots of the landscape and stuff."

"Oh. That makes sense." Suddenly he furrowed his brows, lips pursing into a firm line. "Why would he have it in here?"

Cole simply pointed to his bedroom window, eyes flickering back down to his book. He placed a crisp in his mouth and chewed it slowly.

Silence.

"What's worrying you?"

"Huh?"

"You've kinda been isolating yourself lately."

"And?"

"I dunno, it's kinda concerning me a bit?" Kai ran a hand through his hair. "Ever since the slumber party thing you've pretty much disappeared. You don't even wanna play video games?"

"I was busy…" Cole muttered, not looking up from his book. "Sorry for not procrastinating like the rest of you."

The brunet nodded. "It's like you've been avoiding everyone." He stared at the younger with curious eyes, shuffling forwards slightly. "It's about what I said isn't it? About you being gay?"

The book slammed shut.

Angrily, the Earth Master growled. "Get out."

"What?"

"I said get out, Kai. Now." He continued to death-stare the taller male until he reached the door, his expression softening slightly. "Don't pull that crap again."

Kai nodded. There was no point arguing with him.

"Oh, um, question." Cole raised his voice urgently, halting the brunet's movements. "You still have Jason's number, don't you?"

"Uh, yeah? Why, exactly?"

The Earth Master shifted his gaze downwards to his fingers and they fiddled. "N-No reason. You can go now."

* * *

Jay and Kai leant against the rails of the deck, both holding calm, yet pondering expressions.

Kai was the first to speak. "I'm worried about Cole."

Jay inhaled and exhaled heavily, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, me too."

"How come?" The Fire Master wasn't expecting his friend to agree with him, so this was quite surprising.

"So you know Nya's lent me some books on mental health 'n stuff? Well some parts are eerily similar to Cole's new behaviour. To start off," He stuck out his thumb, signaling the first reason. "he's become really adamant that no one goes in his room when he's having personal conversations. Second of all, he's comfort eating."

The brunet raised a brow, thinking back too his recent interactions with him. He was always eating.

"When a person is lacking confidence or is feeling mentality unwell, some people go to food as their coping mechanism. I'm guessing that the whole attack has left him slightly traumatized." Jay gestured to his arm. "I got shot and I'm feeling fine."

"Bare in mind we didn't see the fight he was a part of in the back—"

"Oh!" Quickly the shorter male fished out his phone and got up a website, his stare scanning over the page as he read from it. "It says on Kiss's website that in a 'private' room, customers can receive some 'personal treatment' with whatever dancer they have put their name down for." He looked up from the screen. "So that means whoever was in the room was causing the fight."

"D'you reckon Cole was the dancer in that room?"

"Most likely. The guy probably recognised him and took him as an 'easy target'."

Kai nodded in agreement, his mind wondering off to more inappropriate ideas. "What d'you think he was wearing? Probably some killer heels with a whip or something~"

Jay scrunched up his face in disgust. "Well that's one way to come out, I guess."

"I'm not gay." _Truth_.

"You're bi?"

"No, Jay. I'm straight." _Lies_. "I'm just going off of what the dancers where wearing the other times I've been in there. Sheesh."

"Huh, okay okay." He grinned smugly to himself, although still unsure whether he was being lied to or not. Nevertheless, he continued the original conversation. "What did Cole say to you this morning, then? After Jason had left?"

"He told me to get out." Kai snorted in amusement at the memory. "Although, he did ask if I had Jason's contact on my phone. When I asked why, he brushed it off."

"Bet you they're hiding something." He muttered determinedly. "Do they recognise each other?"

"Nope."

" _Oh._ I mean, the door _is_ always locked when they have conversations." The brunet mused, tapping his foot. "Don't quote me on this, but what if I were to guess that they did more than talking?"

"What's that s'posed to mean?" Kai knew exactly what the Lightning Master was suggesting, and it was unfortunately plausible.

"Ever since Jason arrived Cole's been avoiding him when he's with us, but always goes off when they're alone. The first night when you guys all got smashed in the kitchen? You don't know what went on whilst you passed out. From what I've heard Jason was sober, and Cole was off his head — it makes sense that he wouldn't remember anything the next morning." He stared at the elder with an oddly mischievous glint n his eyes, a proud smirk appearing on his face. "I should really be a detective!"

Kai was at a loss for words. In the span of a minute, the least intelligent ninja had just explained an unseen event that had been happening in front of their very eyes, as if it were nothing.

He was legitimately in shock.

"Jesus Christ, Jay. It's at times like this that I'm thankful for you're nosiness!"

"I'm taking that as a compliment!" Jay smiled.


	11. Without permission

**What a surprise, another chapter! Sorry if all the updates are getting a bit annoying, I just wanted to speed up the filler-chapters before we got to really big plot. Trust me, it's all worth it.**

 **During this chapter a big bold is dropped, a rather disturbing one at that.**

 **To cut a long story short, the next few chapters aren't very innocent.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The group next to him were failing to shut up.

The inappropriate comments and slurs growing louder by the second as they yelled to heir hearts' content. This place wasn't as good as Kiss had been, but it wasn't awful. It was assuring to see so many familiar faces appearing throughout the night, some even coming up and starting small talk with the male.

Ronin sat at the bar with a glass of whisky in his hand and an irritated expression slowly growing on his face. A group of about five men were huddled around each other as they stared at one of their friend's phone, wide grins all around. Some he could recognise from Kiss, and others not as much.

 _"There's a hashtag?!"_

 _"Oh course there is – it's for a good cause!"_

What the hell are they going on about…? His mind wandered as he silently eavesdropped on the less than subtle conversation, hoping that none of them would get him involved. Every man followed at least one risky account, but this one sounded different. A hashtag? What kind of hashtag?

Suddenly he felt something poke his shoulder.

"Y-You're Ronin, right?"

The ginger inhaled as he was forced to face the new voice, not in the mood. "Yeah." The man suddenly snatched the phone off his friend and held it in front of him.

"Check this out!"

Carefully, and reluctantly, he skimmed the profile bio with widening eyes.

 **Username: Luckiest_man_alive**

 **Bio: DM me for pics ❤**

That was it.

 **10.3K followers, only twenty posts.**

The account was on private.

How the hell did this many people find this?

The followers appeared to be similar accounts and an 18 to God knows age range.

Quickly he began watching and clicking on the posts, swallowing thickly. In each post it was either taken whilst they were sleeping or not looking at the camera, as if they were taken without permission. One that caught his eye was a video in which the only shot was the camera holder's fingers playing with the waistline of a pair of boxers, making sure to get the ass in full view.

"I'm so fucking jealous of this guy." The man stated as he retrieved his phone, a grin plastered on his face. "Imagine spending every single day with that cutie! Oh god just imagine it!"

"Yeah, yeah its nice!" He licked his lips. "It doesn't look consensual, though!"

"So what?! It's more fun that way!"

 _Oh._

"Heh, and I was just starting to like you!" Ronin gladly chugged the lasts of his drink with a blunt expression. He watched as the group went back to perving over the inappropriate account with lustful eyes.

On that note the ginger slipped off his stall and exited the club, mentally noting to pay a certain team a well needed visit.

* * *

"Ronin? What a pleasant surprise!"

"Where's Kai?" He pushed past Zane as he let himself inside. The Nindroid closed the door with a puzzled expression.

"Kai? Last time I saw him he was in his bedroom. Jay, Lloyd and Nya have gone to get more groceries, and Cole is visiting his dad, so they aren't here at the moment."

Ronin nodded in thanks as he began a quick walk in the direction of said room. Upon finding his destination he knocked harshly on his door. "Hey, let me in."

The door swung open as the two held each others gaze, the brunet drowning in confusion. "Why are you here?"

"We need to talk in private."

Kai could see the urgency flash over his face, a rare thing that only happened in serious situations. "Y-Yeah, sure, I'll lock the door." The muttered, keeping to his word as the elder took a seat at the edge of the bed. The Fire Master sat next to him, watching as he took out his phone.

"You're the only person I can tell this too, so thank you for dropping by Kiss recently."

Reluctantly he nodded, annoyed that Ronin had recognised him as well. "If you're here to-"

"And you know about Cole, right?" His stare didn't look up from his phone as he flicked through his apps, chewing his lip. "About the whole stripper thing?"

"Y-Yeah… why are you asking me this—"

"I was shown this a couple nights ago."

Kai narrowed his brows as he watched the videos and photos, his cheeks darkening subconsciously. A mix of worry and anger spread across his features as he soon realised who was in the photos, trying his best not to snap the phone in half.

"Zero consent." Ronin muttered as the teen pulled up a certain video.

"That happened last week. Cole and I got drunk, and the next morning he, well, woke up like that…How the hell did someone get this kind of shot…?"

"I'm seriously concerned for Cole — and that's a rarity for me." He snatched back his phone, clicking onto the DM chat. "This was all for research purposes."

"You asked for… christ…"

"I wanted to see how bad it could get, okay?"

A short video.

It was of an overhead shot of the Earth Master's face, cheeks stained with blush and tears as he let out pants and moans, head rolling about uncomfortably against the pillow, crying out in pain. " _Hah~ n-no more~ plea—"_

And it stopped.

Kai let his jaw drop.

This wasn't happening.

He shouldn't be turned on by this. It was horrible.

He couldn't breathe.

"So where is he then?"

"At his house."

"What's his name? How did he get in here?"

"Jason…" He inhaled. "His name's Jason, and I trusted him. He was a bartender at Kiss and I offered for him to stay with us for a bit… I'm so stupid!'

"Who's bed was that taken in?"

"Cole's. Stop asking me questions, please." Kai choked out, groaning. "Jay needs to know-"

"Jay knows?"

"I told him."

"How did he take it?"

The Fire Master sighed. "He was definitely shocked, to say the least."

"Weren't we all. I'm guessing he's still straight?"

"Uh, yeah?" He laughed hastily. "Why wouldn't he be?"

"As soon as you laid eyes Black Beauty, do not tell me you didn't want span—"

"That's enough, Ronin, god. Remember our situation."

* * *

 ***Reviews are appreciated***


	12. Dealing with the devil

**Gay shit goes down. Just warning you.**

* * *

His watch read 21:47.

An odd time for dinner, but free food is free food. Cole was glad that Jason wanted to offer an apology gift for all the inconveniences, and truly believe that the man had finally come to his senses.

 _Whore._

It was naturally dark, the only light being that of lampposts. Surprisingly the elder lived in a more 'unappealing' part of the city, so Cole made sure to walk briskly past alley openings and other, potentially dangerous, areas.

It wasn't long before he reached the house, relief washing over him as he knocked loudly on the door.

"Wow." He was greeted with Jason looking him up down, licking his lips. "You know how to dress up."

Cole avoided his uncomfortably hungry stare, blushing reluctantly. "I… th-thanks. You too."

The elder wore a pair of navy jeans and a plain white shirt, he top buttons unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Standard fuckboy attire. He smirked at the compliment. "Cheers. Right, come in then! You're probably cold."

Nodding as he was ushered inside, the sudden rush of warmth made him less tense. The brunet guided him into the dining room, the younger's eyes widening with a mix of emotions.

A candle lit dinner.

Just what he wanted. Not.

He noticed a box sat on a nearby stool, strategically placed so this very moment would be happening. But before he could find his words, a firm pair of hands took hold of his hips from behind him. "Take a seat."

Cole swallowed as he slowly broke from the others grasp and sat down in one of the two chairs, still mesmerized by everything that was going on. "You didn't have to do this, Jason." He spoke quietly, his hand hovering over the lid covering his plate.

"Of course I did." Jason spoke proudly, a smile present on his face. He reached for a bottle of crimson alcohol. "Wine?"

"Um, Okay." His cheeks flushed as the brunet let out a small laugh, annoying him slightly. "What's so funny?

"You're so timid, Cole. Earth Master my ass." The wine bottle was placed back down as he raised his glass to his mouth and his lips curved into a cheeky smirk. "It's cute."

Cole stared at him bluntly. "Oh really."

"Yep. You're so interesting, you know that right?" His eyes became hazed. They hadn't even started eating yet. "You use your body to make cash, but the minute someone takes your V card you play hard-to-get. Personally, I find it super attractive~"

 _Oh. This again._

The Earth Master closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. This wasn't the route he wanted the conversation to take. "Let's… Let's just eat, okay?"

"Go ahead!" Jason purred. "You're gonna love it!"

Feeling slightly more optimistic, Cole carefully lifted the silver lid and stared down at his meal. He couldn't lie; it did look really good.

"I couldn't really think of anything, so I just thought "fuck it, I'm doing a roast"."

"No, no, it looks great! Thank you!" Curse his politeness.

Jason took another sip from his glass, nodding towards the raven. "No, _thank you._ "

* * *

The night went on as Cole had expected it to. Jason shamelessly flirting with him as he ignored the suggestive and excessive compliments. The clock on the wall told him that it was close to midnight, which annoyed him slightly.

The two were sat comfortably on the couch, the radio playing quietly in the background.

The shorter male watched as he was poured another glass of wine, already feeling tipsy. He looked out the window with glass in hand and cheeks rosie and flushed.

This was his seventh glass.

 _Flash_.

Jason grinned as he lowered his phone and pulled up the photo. "Damn. What a poser."

Cole giggled and swatted away the phone. "Delete that~! I look-"

"Beautiful? Hot? Lustful?" The elder looked back at the photo, shuffling closer to the drunk teen.. "It's a great look."

Cole blushed even darker, staring at him as his felt an arm snake around his waist. He was confused as to why he wasn't moving away, the alcohol having taken over his body. "Ah… what…" Jason began placing kisses up and down the younger's neck, running his tongue along the pale skin of his collar bone as he pulled down the hoodie's neck line. Cole shuddered nervously, groaning as he tried moving away from him.

"Hey… it's okay…" A soft voice purred into his ear, pulling him back and onto his lap. He could feel the Earth Master heat up in his drunken state, panting anxiously as he tried to squirm out of his hold. Slowly the elder, now holding his friend's waist, began guiding his hips back and forth, rocking his ass against his manhood. Cole let out a sharp whine of discomfort as an instinct reaction, wanting it to stop. Upon hearing this, Jason paused, but didn't loosen his grip. "What's the matter, babe?"

"This is wrong… I don't like this…I-I haven't—"

"Whoops, can't use that excuse any more." Jason teased, breathing hotly into the younger's shoulder. "I've already stolen it, haven't I…?"

Cole spoke quietly, swallowing his pride. "I want to go home. Please…"

The brunet pursed his lips in annoyance. Completely ignoring him, he continued to grind the younger onto him, gradually becoming more fast. His friend cried out over and over, not knowing what was poking his rear. "You are a lightweight, aren't you? D'you want to stop?"

Cole nodded sadly, now being able to slide back onto the couch and off his lap. He watched anxiously as Jason rose from his seat, walked to the window, and closed the curtains.

"What… what are you doing…?" The raven spoke quietly. His head turned to face the man, just as he was forced into an unwanted kiss. He froze. Jason broke the kiss soon after, staring at him with lust full eyes. Before Cole knew it, he had his back down on the couch, arms pinned uncomfortably above his head as the taller male towered over him hungrily, forcing his legs over his shoulders.

With his spare hand, Jason used it to slide under the black hoodie feel around.

"Don't… n-no…" Cole whimpered, buckling his hips at the cold touch.

The elder grunted at the surprise movement as a smirk tugged at his lips. He began rubbing his hand up and down the younger's inner thigh, releasing his wrists from his other hand and doing the same on the other leg.

The Earth Master twitched uncontrollably. Maybe because of the feeling, or maybe because he was scared shitless. He didn't know at this point. His arm covered his eyes as he refused to look at what was about to be done to him as he felt he legs being spread further apart.

But then it stopped.

"I… I can't do this to you." Jason muttered, each word dripping with guilt. "I'm so sorry, Cole… I…"

Cole took this as an opportunity to awkwardly take his legs off the elder's shoulders, instinctively backing away.

"I can't let you go home."

 _What._

"I'm sorry, I really am, but it isn't safe for you out there. It's late and dark and I don't want you to get hurt. You understand?"

The raven swallowed. "So I have to stay here…?"

The brunet smiled softly. "Don't worry, though." He carefully stood up, offering him a hand up."I have a spare room." He began leading him through the house and down to the basement, Cole surprisingly grateful for the hospitality. "I rarely have guests, so this is kind of a make-shift room." He explained. "Sorry if it isn't to your ninja standards."

"Heh, as long as there's a bed." He giggled, eyes squinting as he was ushered down the stairs and into the darkness. It was eerily cold, as if it had been abandoned for quite some time.

Suddenly a light flashed on, catching him off guard slightly as he took in his surroundings.

 _Oh god._

He spun on his heel, eyes wide as he tried to make a run for the stairs. A force kept him in place as he yelled and kicked his legs about in panic. Jason held onto the small teen from behind him, growling angrily as he grew impatient. "Get off- get off me!"

The brunet remained still.

Cole panted heavily as he continued fighting, tears pricking in his eyes as he was suddenly blinded by a black fabric, plunged into darkness.

His breath hitched as he was pushed down onto what guessed was the bed he'd noticed seconds before, crying out as he felt something lock around his wrists, keeping them bound together. "Ah, stop it! I-I can't breathe–"

"Shhhh." As finger was placed to his lips. "Try and sleep."

Cole shook his head frantically. This had to be a nightmare. He'd drank too much. Suddenly he was being kissed again – more passionately than before – and being pushed down onto the mattress. He couldn't work out what was going on.

"Please! Don't! Where are you? Please, Jason, _PLEASE_!" The Earth Master wailed as tears began streaming down his face.

"I'll be down later on, okay babe?" The familiar voice assured, the bed creaking as Cole panted heavily. "I've got some friends coming over soon, so you'll have some company." No emotion could be heard in his tone. "Won't be long~" He cooed, the sound of his feet climbing up the first few stairs being heard.

The door suddenly closed, locking.

* * *

 **Oof.**


	13. Confessions

Kai watched silently as his friend stared down at his water bottle momentarily, before shaking it and taking a swig. He grimaced, but then continued to drink it.

"What time d'you call this? This time yesterday you were already out."

Cole flinched and slammed the bottle on the countertop in surprise. "I-"

The Fire Master narrowed his brows as he stared from the doorway, leaning cooly against the frame. His attire consisted of his pyjama bottoms and a red robe, exposing his chest slightly. The night were still relatively hot. "I can't… This is so stupid of you, Cole. First you isolate yourself, then go missing for a solid day and then you return in the middle of the night." Cole still hasn't moved from his position – back facing the elder and hand clenched tightly around the bottle. "What's going on with you?"

Kai knew what was wrong with him, so did Jay, and so did Ronin. It was working out the right time to confront him, being his second priority.

The first was killing Jason.

"What's the matter, Cole?" He spoke more softly this time, yet his voice was still stern. "You'll feel better after telling someone."

A shaky inhale and exhale was his reply.

Cole kept his back on his friend as he slowly began chugging the entire bottle, silently and coldly.

The brunet stayed quiet as he observed intently.

He'd forced himself to stay awake – to be there when his teammate returns — for _this_ Trainwreck.

Finally Cole turned to face him, wiping his mouth harshly with his sleeve. He looked so drained. His hair was unruly and messy, similar to his creased clothes and slouched posture. "Go away."

"You went to your dad's." Kai muttered. "So why the hell do you look like you've been hit by a bus? You're not in trouble, are you-"

"I'm fine."

"Do… Do you really think I'm that stupid– Cole, you need to talk to me, this is seriously concerning me!" He forced himself not to raise his voice too much. He had to spill the beans. He couldn't keep this back anymore. "I… I need you to be truthful with me."

Cole avoided his gaze and focused on the floor. "I can't…"

"Please, Cole." The elder looked at him with calm, assuring eyes, offering an appreciative smile. A flash of hope lit up in the depths of the raven's darkened orbs as they locked stares. "Don't try and lie to me, Cole. Please."

Suddenly the spark extinguished.

"I'm going to bed." Cole whispered, making sure to take his water bottle as he shoved past him, not looking back. Quickly he felt a hand tug him backwards by his sleeve, alerting a startled gasp to escape his lips.

Kai pushed him harshly into the kitchen as he proceeded to block the exit. "Talk to me."

"I'm not talking to you, Kai. It's late."

"I've got time."

The raven groaned and sipped his drink as he rubbed his arm. "You didn't have to pull me that hard. Fuckin hurts…"

 _I barely touched him, though…_ "Start talking, Cole."

It was obvious that he was showing no signs of moving.

"You were…" He inhaled. "I think you were right about the whole… sexuality thing…"

Kai narrowed his brows. He paused.

He couldn't bring up the account… not now anyways.

"So you're gay?" His gaze softened slightly as the shorter teen nodded and looked down at his feet.

Despite the odd wash of relief, he still wasn't too happy about making his confession. "I…I think so…"

All Cole was hoping for was an 'okay', or 'that's fine' from his teammates. He instinctively flinched as he felt himself being forced into a strong embrace, pressuring some of his bruises. Kai didn't need to know that, though.

"If you don't mind me asking," Kai pondered out loud, chin resting on top of his friend's head. "when did you realise? Like, who's the reason?"

"I… that's I bit personal, don't you think…?" Cole kept his voice low. "And it was no one in particular… just guys, I guess?"

"Ya, but surely there's someone that made you instantly know." His tone grew sharper, more interrogatory. A silence consumed the pair as the raven stayed quiet. "It was Jason, wasn't it?"

Cole visibly tensed at the name as he pulled back and reluctantly eyed the elder with stinging eyes. Kai was oblivious to all the tortured he'd been put through ever since that man had arrived, which made the situation even more difficult. If only he knew what he was talking about.

Kai knew that it wasn't Jason. He knew that Cole had chosen to express his sexuality in his own way, away from his friend's and in a safe environment, long before the shooting. He wondered whether the Earth Master was aware of the account – being too flustered and mindless to notice the camera.

"We… We need to talk…"

"It wasn't Jason…" Cole muttered defensively.

"I know that. I never said it was. Listen, Cole, it's bothering me how you've been acting recently, so I feel like I just need to get my thoughts out here and now." He kept his tone calm as he began processing his words in his head before speaking. "I…" The brunet cast a quick glance to the clock on the wall, sighing in slight annoyance. Cole was exhausted, drained and clearly not in a great mood. "It's really late… we should get to bed."

"Is it okay, though?" Cole suddenly spoke, hopefulness and doubt sounding in his voice. "Is it okay that I'm not straight like you guys?"

"Wh-What? Cole, of course it's okay." Kai smiled, his cheeks darkening slightly. "Thanks for telling me."

Nodding gratefully, the raven chewed his lip. "This was kinda unexpected – I was gonna tell everyone at the same time – so I'll have to tell them sooner than planned… N-Not that I don't trust you or anything, I just wanna get it all over with… kinda stressful."

"You'll be fine." The taller boy noted. "If you do need to talk, though, I am here."

"You sound like someone from a sappy movie. Stop it, it's weird." He gave a light chuckle, rubbing his arm sheepishly. "How…uh… how did you guess about me?"

"You got all weird when Jason was around you. He's gay, I kinda just jumped to conclusions, ya know? There's other details, but I don't think you'd take them well."

"Don't hide shit from me, Kai. Tell me, okay?"

He licked his lips, pausing in thought. "It's, ah, it's kinda reassuring to hear you… ya know… be queer or whatever…"

Cole furrowed his brows curiously as he met the elder's gaze. "I…" He swallowed thickly. "What… What?"

"Between you and me…" Kai slowly inched closer to him, scratching the back of his neck. "I… actually, d-don't worry. It's not right for me to–"

"Are you gay, Kai?" The raven pressed with widening eyes. "Bi?-"

"No! Hell no." His voice raised as his hands went up in defence. He stared with sudden guilt as the hopeful look on his friend's face disappeared instantly. "I-I didn't mean that in bad way- Cole, uh, Y-You don't understand—"

Cole closed his eyes as he sucked the air through his teeth, shaking his head. "I… i need some space…Kai…"

"I didn't mean it in a bad way. Look at me, Cole, I'm sorry, okay…" He placed his hands on the raven's shoulders, squeezing them comfortingly. "Cole–"

"Don't touch me!" Suddenly he exclaimed, wincing at the unexpected volume of his words as he lowered them into a growl. " _Don't touch me_."

Kai stepped back.

"Don't fucking touch me again, you hear me?" His breaths were irregular as he spoke in shudders, chest rising and falling as he tried to keep his composure.

The brunet eyed him in concern, watching as he rubbed his shoulder uncomfortably. "Are you okay…? I can-"

"No you can't. You can't do anything that can benefit me, Kai. You will never get to help me because I will never let you. I can sort out my own shit by myself and I don't need you following me about." Cole locked his stare with unforgiving eyes, despite Kai being able to notice the worry present in them. Cole was pushing back his emotions. Nothing new. "Just because I'm not as tall, or as 'charming' as you, doesn't mean I can't fend for myself. If I were you I'd get that into your head and stop treating me like a bitch." He didn't bother looking over his shoulder as he pushed himself to painfully storm out the kitchen, wanting anything more than to let Kai see him in desperate pain.


	14. All good things must come to an end

**Okay, so I'm EXTREMELY sorry about the sudden disappearance.**

 **Since last week i haven't been able to get onto my phone as it isn't responding to its charger. I've got a new battery coming soon, so hopefully I'll be back on it soon. I'm currently using my Mac for social media, so i cannot post on my instagram story, and uploads of fanfics will most likely be delayed because of the Mac not being very portable. Also it doesn't have spell check, so I apologise for any spelling mistakes. Ah, anywho, new chappie! Enjoy!**

* * *

"You missed breakfast, by the way."

Similar to last night's encounter, the Fire Master was leant against the door frame with his arms folded over his chest. His eyes swirled with curiousity despite their cold stare as they flickered up and down the other male in the small, stuffy room. Cole ignored him as he continued to throw hits at the punching bag, brows narrowing as he punched it especially hard.

Kai swallowed.

Cole was small, but deadly – something that he needed to remember.

"It's kinda hot in here, isn't it? Surely it's bad wearing all that." _Baby steps, Kai_. He couldn't have another argument like last night. It would just make things awkward. The raven paused mid-swing, shifting his gaze downwards, before meeting the elder's gaze. He was annoyingly correct; jeans and a hoodie weren't the most practical training wear.

His reply was a distasteful eye-roll

"I've got some spare shorts if–"

"No. No, thanks." His voice seemed unnaturally quiet. "What do you want, anyways?"

"Are you okay, Cole? Like, honestly, are you okay? You've seemed off for a while now, some of us are getting worried."

Cole exhaled as he offered a dry laugh, grimacing slightly. "I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me—"

"I'm sorry if I upset you last night, by the way." Kai rubbed his arm hastily. "I can understand if you're pissed off…"

"I'm not pissed off because of that, Kai. I'd prefer not to talk about it." The raven glanced back at the punching bag. His eyes closed in annoyance as he felt the elder's stare burn into the back of his head. "I need to get some more hours in for training."

 _Oh great. Now he's straining himself._ "I, uh, I don't think that that's a good idea." Slowly the door was shut as Kai stepped further into the room, keeping his stare locked on the younger. "I think you should to training... f-for a little while, at least." He watched as Cole shot him a confused glare.

"What? N-No. Why would I need to stop?"

Kai took a few steps forwards, scratching the back of his neck hastily. "I dunno, you look kinda?"

"Excuse me?"

"Ah! No! Not in a gay way! Y-You just look exhausted, ya know?" He smiled nervously as Cole grinned. "Sorry."

"It's fine." The raven laughed. "I might take a break then, thanks."

Kai nodded happily, glad that the subject had been changed rather quickly. Even if Cole wasn't aware of his efforts, Kai was going to try his best to keep his friend safe.

* * *

"Pay up, Zane. Rules are rules."

Cole grinned to himself as he leant against the wall, listening to Lloyd's comment and Jay's snort o laughter. Knowing that his team already had suspicions about his sexuality didn't bother him too much, especially with the huge wash of relief keeping his attitude upbeat.

"You've told them then?"

Quickly his eyes levelled with the ravenette's,a soft smile gracing her features. "Yeah. They're cool with it, which is good."

"I'm glad. Good on you, Cole." Suddenly a soft buzz everted their attention to the phone in Cole's hand. "You still call your Dad, 'Daddy'?"

"He insists." He answered shakily, a blush staining his cheeks.

"I think it's cute. See ya around then." And with that she nodded and disappeared out of sight, leaving the ninja once again alone with his thoughts.

Or so he thought.

Upon glancing down at his phone, the content expression dropped. Cole was quick to raise his phone to his ear and make a dash for his bedroom. "What do you want?"

 _"Haha, you know, babe."_

The bedroom door was securely locked as the black ninja made his way to his bed, running his free hand through his hair. "I'll-"

 _"You're not talking back, are you? Are you?"_

Cole swallowed, grimacing at his own words. "N-No..."

 _"Good. We wouldn't want anyone knowing about us, would we?"_

"No, no we wouldn't."

 _"I've got a couple presents for you if you want to come and get them-"_

"I'm not going anywhere near you- _h-hello?_ hey, d-don't hang up!" He held back a shout as he punched his fist into the duvet, his eyes beginning to sting.


	15. Silent

Jay watched from the doorframe as he swallowed down the lump in his throat. It pained him to realise that the majority of his friends were blissfully unaware of the concequences this man had caused.

And so, Zane was sat in the gameroom chattering away to Satan himself.

His mind didn't bother deciphering what the conversation was on, but instead it chose to souly keep its focus on the frequent smirk that played on the Brunet's lips.

Between he and Kai, they had decided to keep this man as far away from Cole as they could. Subtlely, of course. So why was he in their home? He had no reason to be there…

Inhaling a breath of frustration, Jay quietly began a quick stroll to where he hoped his brother in red would be, and hopefully alone.

"Please explain to me why he's here."

The Fire Master snapped his head up from his twidling thumbs as he stood up from his bed. He shakily locked eyes with the younger. "I hoped you knew."

Jay narrowed his brows as he leant against the wall, slowly pushing the door closed. "You don't know? Jesus, I thought you-"to

"My phone broke this morning so I must've missed his text or whatever. Nya said she could repair it in, like, thirty minutes, but clearly that wasn't the case."

"Where's Cole?"

"Last time I saw him he was training Lloyd on the deck. I dunno whether he's still doing that, though…" Kai scratched the back of neck nervously, biting his lip. "It was all going so well. If he sees him, he'll be forced to put on a fake face and deal with it."

"We can't just kick Jason out, though." Jay interjected, folding his arms over his chest. "That would highten everyone's suspicion."

"Yeah… I guess we've just gotta act normal until he feels comfortable enough to leave or something." He ran his hands down his face and groaned loudly. "I just wanna punch him soooo hard—"

 _Knock_

 _Knock_

"What are you guess bitching about? We've got a guest, if you didn't know!"

The two exchanged glances before Jay unlocked the door and swung it open, instantly forcing a smile. Lloyd pursed his lips in confusion, but they soon curled into a cheeky grin. "Jason's in the other room!" He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "Come say hi, don't wanna be rude."

"Yeah, yeah, sure!" Jay nodded as he brushed past the younger and made a quick walk in the correct direction.

Kai sighed. "Where's Cole, then? I thought he was with you."

"Oh, yeah, yeah he was. He went off to the kitchen – said he was hungry."

"Of course he is."

"Huh?" Lloyd raised a brow. "Eh, I guess he does get peckish after training. Anyways, Jason'll be waiting for you!"

* * *

Jay looked up as his brother came into view, haulting somewhat abruptly at the doorframe. Cole took a moment to glance over everyone in the room, his expression unmoving as he realised only Jay had noticed his presence. He swallowed and licked his lips as his stare found it's way to the floor.

"Ah! There he is!"

Cole offered a pointless, small smile as Jason, and the others, turned to face him, all but two barring welcoming smiles. The raven failed to acknowledge them.

"You feeling tired?" Jason joked, to which Lloyd and Zane laughed. "I heard you were going all out on training Mr Green Ninja over here."

Cole closed his eyes as he inhaled, positioning himself to lean against the doorframe. He remained silent.

"Why are you here, then?" Kai, fully aware of how odd his friend was behaving, sternly raised his voice, but made sure not to sound rude.

"Oh, yeah, forgot about that. Ha. I just wanted to come round and see" He flickered his gaze discreetly up and down the Earth Master. "you lot. I know haven't been gone for ages, but I really enjoy your company."

Kai held back a gag as he watched Zane place a hand on the Brunet's shoulder. "We enjoy your company too! You are truly a close friend." Shakily he everted his stare to the room's entrance, brows narrowed upon realising Cole was no longer there.

"Hey, I, uh, I'm gonna go take a piss…" He murmured, quickly shuffling our the gameroom.

* * *

"Haahhh… hhaaahh…"

Kai slowed his steps as he made his way onto the deck, pausing in uncertainty.

Cole had his back to him and hands braced on the railing, slightly hunched over. Despite the mild breeze, it wasn't enough to mask the chokes and small sobs.

"Oh no…" The brunet licked his lips pitifully as he took a few steps forward, instantly halting moments later. He grimaced as the sound of hurling was added into the mix, in sync with Cole leaning over the railing and onto his toes.

This went on for quite some time.

It had been five minutes, and yet Cole was still stood at the ship's edge, inaudible noises escaping his lips.

"Cole? Cole, you okay?" He watched the younger flinch.

"I-I just needed some fresh– _ugh_ – some fresh air–" Cole gasped as he leant over the railing again, panting.

Kai grimaced. "D-D'you want me to go get someone? Zane or Nya, maybe?"

"U-Uhhh…" He inhaled shakily. "N-No."

"Jesus Christ, Cole, you've just thrown up!" He made the short distance over to his friend and grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to face him. Bloodshot, glassy eyes flickered about nervously as wet lips parted, the boy's entire brain seemingly shut down. "Have… Have you been crying?"

Cole blinked, swallowing as he felt a few stray tears fall from his eyes.

He stayed silent.

"Oh god, w-what happened…? Are you okay?"

"I…" The raven closed his eyes, before taking a deep breath. "Is… Is he still…"

"He?"

"J-Jason–" Cole suddenly raised a clenched fist to his mouth, face scrunching up in discomfort.

"Woah, hey," Kai stepped out the way as the shorter male braced himself at the railings once more. "Is Jason making you sick?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Kai felt like he was going to pass out.

Without even speaking to him, Jason had made Cole _physically sick_.

If it was that easy for him to get under Cole's skin, then that only enhanced the worry as to what he had been putting the Earth Master through.

"N-No, no, it's not h-h-him." Cole spluttered, groaning. "I think I ate something dodgy." His sleeve made its way to his mouth where he wiped it clean, eyes squinting as fresh tears pooled.

The brunet offered an assuring, yet concerned smile. "Well, uh, I'll go get you some stuff and you go to bed, yeah? Some sleep'll do you some good."

Cole shook his head somewhat desperately. "I-I want to stay out here. It's too hot inside and I don't wanna th-throw up on anything."

"Okay, then." Kai nodded, despite his inner anger towards his friend's lies. "I'll tell the others so they don't disturb you, yeah? Come in for lunch or something soon."

"Y-Yeah. Thanks, Kai."


	16. Manipulation

**Sorry for the break btw. It's the Easter holidays so I was busy with family and revision and stuff. Here a new chappie anyways :) Enjoy!**

* * *

Kai rested his cheek in his palm as he groaned impatiently. As far as he was concerned, Cole had yet to come back inside, which was worriing, considering the fact that it'd been about an hour and a half since he'd gone out there.

Jasom was still here.

Everyone, minus Nya, was still sat in the GameRoom, chattering away with him. Lloyd was beaming with utter joy as they spoke, whereas Zane shared a similar expression of a softer smile.

Jay was sat on the same couch as Kai, both boys at different ends, each positioning themselves somewhat comfortably as they faced away from eachother. Jay, the lucky bastard, had his phone to distract him. His arm had been healing surprisingly well, so he was no longer sporting a sling – just some bandages.

Kai wished he had his phone.

 _No._

He wished that Jason left and never came back.

That way he wouldn't be putting everyone on edge.

They way his lips quirked upwards slightly as he showed mock concern to the Earth Master angered Kai greatly. Just being in the same room as him was causing a mental strain.

Quietly, not bothering to excuses himself, the brunet rose from the couch and strolled as calmly as possible out the Game Room, closing his eyes and inhaling frustatedly at the sudden thumping of footsteps following behind him.

"I feel like saying he threw up was a little too overdramatic." Jay hissed, somewhat jokingly. "I mean, out of all the excuses-"

"He did throw up, Jay." Kai retorted sharply as he continued to make his way through the ship. "I watching him be physically sick."

"Oh."

A silence was quick to engulf the duo as they entered the deck, pausing moments later.

Cole was still there.

Same place.

Same position.

Dead silent.

 _"What… What should we do…?"_

 _"You? Shut up. I'll talk, okay."_ Kai flicked his stare back over to the raven, sighing. "You alright, Cole?"

Cole didn't move as he replied. "I'm good." His optimistic tone wasn't fooling anyone – maybe Jay, but definitely not Kai.

"You've been out here for – what? – like, half hour or something? Don't you wanna come in?"

"It's nice out here. It's peaceful."

Kai rolled his eyes in irritation, huffing. "Come inside. You didn't even properly say hi to Jas- _ah!_ -son" He winced as he held his shoulder, biting down on his lip as Jay shot him an unimpressed glare, ignoring the fact that he'd just punched him.

Cole visibly tensed. "I'm alright. I don't wanna get him ill."

"Cole, c'mon." Jay piped up, causing the elder to flinch at the new voice. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. "It's because you're both gay, isn't it?" Jay completely blanked Kai as he stared at him in horror. "You're worried that it'll make things awkward…?"

It took the black ninja a few moments to reply.

"Something like that… yeah."

The Lightning Master pursed his lips in a mix of discomfort or confidence, it was hard to tell. "No one has told him about you being Gay, if that's what you're worried about."

"So no one's told him?"

"As far as we know, he doesn't have a clue." Kai confirmed, choosing to take a few steps closer to the younger. "It's really weird seeing you this distant." He chuckled. "C'mon, no one's gonna—"

"COLE!"

Suddenly the three boys all spun round to face the source of the voice. Lloyd leapt up onto the deck with one of the biggest smiles ever, brushing past Jay as he bounced over to the raven. "I can't believe you've been lying this whole time! Why didn't you tell us?!"

Cole licked his lips as he fumbled on his words. "I, uh, wh-what are you talking about, exactly?" His eyes flickered all over the place, heart thumping faster and faster, until he froze.

Jason smiled genuinely at him upon walking onto the deck, offering a subtle wink as they locked eyes.

"You and Jason, of course!" The blond continued, watching as the charming brunet approached them. "Your boyfriend?"

Cole felt like he was going to faint.

 _Boyfriend…?_

He couldn't speak.

His mind had gone completely blank. He watched as Kai and Jay looked at each other in a mix of shock, discomfort and pity, eyes wide and mouths agape. Even they were disappointed in him. He was letting down his team mates.

Kai turned back to him was an undescribable expression, before quickly returning inside the ship along with Jay.

"Hey, Lloyd." Jason grinned. "You wouldn't mind giving us some time alone, would you? We haven't seen each other in so long, that's all."

The Green ninja nodded. "Sure thing!" He glanced back at them as he began to stroll away. "Don't get too loved up! Zane cleaned this only yesterday!"

"We won't!" He waved Lloyd off as he disappeared inside, waiting a few moments before turning back to his lover.

Cole swallowed and refused to meant his gaze, paling by the second.

"I can't believe you didn't tell them that we're going out." He tutted disapprovingly, looking up. "It's kinda disrespectful, isn't it."

"I'm not your boyfriend…" Cole muttered.

"You should really look at someone when they're talking to you." Jason carefully held the shorter male's chin and tilted his head upwards, licking his lips. "Stop looking so distressed. I only wanna see that face in the bedroom." He laughed. "Speaking of which…" His hand made it's way teasingly to the raven's waist. "Why did you refuse my present…? You would've loved it…"

"I'm not taking anything from you…"

"You've taken _a lot_ from me, sweetie. You took it very well, might I add." A smirk played on his lips as he lowered both his hands to hold the younger's junk, his thumbs caressing it cheekily, as he forced him closer. Cole inhaled sharply at the contact, biting his lip. "I know your weak spots, babe…"

"You groped me-"

"And?" His hands began to squeeze and massage the plump cheeks. He watched as Cole grunted, occasionally barely holding back gasps.

"H-Hey…! Stop-stop, fuck! Stop it…!"

Jason smirked as he pushed the raven against the rail, grinding their bodyies agisnt each other as he spread apart Cole's thighs.

The Earth Master shuddered at the the position change, leaning back and grinding the rail tightly to help balance himself. "Ah! Let-Let go— get off me-!" He could feel the elder now use one hand to stroke his inner thigh, and the other one start to grab the waistband of his jeans– oh no.

"I said fuck off, damn it!"

The brunet paused, looking up from between his lover's thighs, with a snort. "Heh… what's the problem?"

"Fuck off. I don't what you here."

"We'll you clearly do~ Why would you be slutty if you didn't want me here?"

"Sl-Slutty?" Cole inhaled shakily as he closed his legs, a bluch regrettably darkening across his cheeks. "You did this. Now get out of my wa–" He threw himself off the rail and made a quick dash, exclaiming when a harsh force tugged him back. Tears suddenly pricked in the black ninja's eyes, his bottom lip quivering.

Jason held him tightly against him with a firm grip on the younger's jaw. "If you tell anyone you know the consequences." He shoved him forwards, causing him to stumble into the deck's floor painfully. "Now piss off." The brunet spat as he strolled past and back into the ship. "Stupid whore."


	17. No homo bro

**I really hate doing this tbh. The amount of times I've said this in fics probably makes me some so fucking desperate. Reviews are very low, incase you haven't noticed. I feel as though every other chapter gets a review or more, which is kinda disheartening considering the amount of reviews this was getting when the first few chapters dropped. Just a PSA that I honestly need reviews for encouragement, as well as a reminder that people are enjoying the story. So, yeah, reviews are massively appreciated.**

 **PSA over… on a plot note, this chapter is quite homo, but on the lowkey in some aspects. It's good, basically.**

 **Enjoy**!

* * *

"You alright, Cole?"

The raven paused and turned away from the fridge, locking eyes with his teammate. Kai stared at him with an indescribable expression, which worried the younger slightly.

"Y-Yeah? Why?"

"If you don't wanna be with someone, then you can tell them." He spoke as if this was new information, as if he were encouraging it.

Cole licked his lips. "I don't get why you're telling me this."

"I do notice things." Kai chuckled somewhat darkly as he took a sip from his orange juice. "You don't wanna be with Jason. It's obvious."

"You can't-"

"I saw the way you looked at me, by the way." He watched as the younger paled slightly. "When Lloyd dropped the bomb and all that. Seemed like a surprise to you, as well."

"No it wasn't." Cole swallowed.

"You looked so… so damn _terrified_. And although you managed to mask all that from the others…" The brunet stepped forwards. "… I saw right through you."

"Stop it, Kai." Cole raised his voice slightly. "You're sick. You want to ruin this for me, like you did Jay and Nya-" He winced as he felt a sharp grip on his wrist, as was tugged forwards a bit.

"Don't you _dare_ bring Nya into this. That was old news." His tone was lower, more forceful.

"Fuck off. Right now." The raven growled, pulling his arm out of the elder's grasp. "Just because you're lonely doesn't give you the right to try and break us up."

Kai rolled his eyes angrily. "There's a difference between being lonely and worried." Cole narrowed his brows. "Yeah, that's right. I'm _worried_ for you, Cole. I'm _worried_ that this random-ass relationship is gonna ruin everything for you."

The black ninja felt his heart begin to thump harder.

"He spoke about Black Beauty as if they were an object." Kai scuffed his foot angrily into the floor. "I just don't want you to become victim to his perverted fantasies."

Shocked, Cole licked his lips as he fought back the stinging in his eyes.

"You care about me that much…?"

"Yeah, well, of course I fucking do. We're friends, damn it." The elder's cheeks darkened. Cole scolded himself for the sudden heat on his face as well, not likely the way his emotions weren't listening to him.

He let out a shakey breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh god…" He laughed to himself. "… I dunno what to say…"

Kai snorted. "You look, _heh_ , you look like you're overheating." He gestured to the outfit choice of a hoodie and jeans. "Take the hoodie off. It'll help."

"N-No. I'm good."

"C'mon~ Sensei would've already got you done for wearing this much."

"I'm a bit chilly, that's all." He lightly pushed he taller male away somewhat playfully.

Kai looked down at his own attire, raising his eyebrows cheekily. "I'm wearing jeans and a tank top."

"You're also the Master of Fire. Heat. Heat makes you very hot. That's how logic works."

"So you think I'm hot?" He winked at the raven cockily. "I mean, I'm flattered-"

Cole shook his head desperately. "Wh-What, no! That's not what I meant-"

"I know, I know… God, you're really paranoid lately aren't you?" He laughed, watching as Cole relaxed despite his embarrassment. "I mean, if it's any consolation… you're kinda hot as well." The younger visibly tensed at the sudden compliment, licking his lips nervously. "Temperature, related, of course."

"Temp… oh, okay, I thought you were getting a bit intimate… phew…"

"Why? Do you wanna get intimate?" Kai asked casually, leaning against the wall with that god for saken smirk. Cole knew he was now teasing him, taking advantage of his mind when in such a vulnerable state.

"I… I'm good, thanks."

" _You better be._ "

The two turned to face the kitchen's entrance, both of their faces darkening in embarrassment and guilt. Jason eyed Kai suspiciously, leaning against the doorframe. "What's your problem? Trying to split us up, huh?"

The red ninja simply rolled his eyes.

"He wasn't, don't worry." Cole muttered, busying himself with a sudden hunt for food. He found himself squatted on the floor and searching for whatever was in mind, not up for a petty argument.

With his stare narrowed in the elder's direction, Kai kept his eyes locked on Jason's face. He watched as the darkened eyes became flooded with slyness and lust upon resting on the view of the raven's ass, to which the younger was oblivious to. Soon enough Jason flicked his gaze to lock with the Fire Master's, now accompanied by a knowing and tormenting smirk.

Kai felt sick.

"Right…" Jason trailed off as Cole stood back up and brushed himself down, now fiddling about with a cereal bar wrapper. "I'm gonna head off, then. Got lots'a paperwork to fill out."

"How come? You got a new job?" Kai questioned quickly.

"Yeah, I do, _actually_. I got an email the other day about Kiss reopening at a different building; they're trying to regain the previous members of staff and all that. So far seems like everyone's agreed! So that's a plus!"

"Has Black Beauty rejoined?"

"Of course it would be _you_ to ask that." He chuckled. "Yeah, they should be. I mean, without them, Kiss will loose a bunch of customers. Black Beauty is practically the business. I don't know whether that's a good thing or not, but to people like us, it's a fucking blessing– _ah-ah_." He held a finger up to silence the brunet. "Don't start spouting all that rubbish about this all a load of BS. Save it for the bar, okay?"

Kai reluctantly obeyed and huffed to himself, not in the mood for a stupid argument.

"C'mon then, babe." Jason strolled over to the raven and placed his hand on his shoulder. "You've been quiet…" He pouted. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh, n-no. I'm just a bit nauseous from earlier, that's all…" Cole offered a small smile. "You have a safe journey home, okay? I'll see you later."

"No kiss?"

"Like I said, I'm not feeling very well. I don't want to get you ill. Please, we can do all that stuff next time."

Jason's eyes seemed to light up slightly at those words, something that sent a chill down the red ninja's spine.

 _I'm gonna make sure that 'next time' never comes…_


	18. Contradiction

**Reviews are greatly appreciated! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _"Screw."_

 _"Screw, please~"_

 _"Hello? Hello, Nya, screw please–?"_

"Huh?"

Jay furrowed his brows suspicioisly."You okay? Kinda zonded out for a bit."

Nya offered a hasty smile, along with a small laugh. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." She raised her eyebrows in confirmation as she reached for a handful of screws, holding it out for the Lightning Master. "Take ya pick."

"Uhhhhhh…" His hand hovered over the small pile. "Uhhhh, I'll take that one, thanks." He pulled out one of the longer screws, before holding it up to eyelevel.

"What are you doing…?"

"Checking it."

"For what?"

"Doesn't matter…" He mused, carefully stuffing the screw into his jacket pocket. Nya watched him with a new found suspicion, pursing her lips.

She sighed.

"So what's _your_ deal then?"

" _My what?_ " Her gaze met Jay's.

"Something's bothering you — I can tell." His lip quirked into a reluctant smile, an assuring one. "C'mon, Nya. Spill."

The ravenette nodded as she put the handful of screws back into the small cardboard box. "Yeah, yeah, yes, you're right…" She muttered. "It's not that I'm bothered, as such… maybe paranoid? I feel like I take note of little things that aren't anything to be concerned about… why am I saying this? It's stupid, don't worry."

"Nya." Jay licked his lips and placed a hand firmly on her shoulder. "I won't tell. You're smart, so I'm pretty sure you won't be wrong–"

"It's Kai." Her hands made their way into her hair, elbows proped on the worksurface as her head lowered. "It's Kai."

"Kai…?"

She groaned. "He's been acting really weird. Like, really weird."

"I-I don't get what you're saying." The brunet scratched the back of his neck.

"I think he's jealous of Jason."

Jay swallowed thickly.

"He's suddenly started patrolling Cole. He just stares at him! And if he isn't staring, he's lecturing– arguing! He doesn't leave him alone. It's freaky."

"We-Well maybe he has a good reason to be doing all this–?"

"Like what?" Her head turned to face him, brows narrowed. "Like what, Jay?"

 _Shit._ "I, ah, I dunno? I mean, Jason _did_ seem to be quite dodgy around Cole…?"

Nya's gaze softened slightly as she bit her lip. "Yeah… but I didn't see anything. What do you mean?"

"Uhhhhhhhhh…" _Fuck fuck fuck._ "I dunno, he just seems quite forceful."

"I thought he seemed fine. Maybe you're jealous, too." Her tone was serious, yet a smile graced her lips teasingly. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding." She sighed. "I'm gonna talk to Kai at some point; ask him what's going on. Or Cole. Wonder if he's noticed… what am I saying? Of course he has. They argue about something pretty much every day."

"So you don't think that Kai could be onto something? That he's worried for Cole's well-being?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely." She nodded, perking up slightly. "Kai wouldn't be doing all this shit for nothing; he's my brother. I know him very well. He's not the type to go around and harrass people for no reason."

* * *

Lloyd tried to keep his stare on his phone screen, but he'd always have to look up intriguingly. Ever since Jason had stopped by to drop the bomb about he and Cole's relationship - a couple days ago - Kai had been stalking the shorter male like a hawk. Whether it was peeking at the raven's phone or demanding an answer as to 'where he was _actually_ going', Kai didn't stop his efforts to annoy him.

"God, you're like my dad…" Cole muttered running a hand down his face. "If you have I problem with me, then just say it. Don't blame Jason–"

"I'll do what I want! It's wrong, _Cole_! You shouldn't be doing this!" Kai clenched his fists at his sides. "You–"

"Go take your homophobia somewhere else, Kai!" The raven suddenly snapped, catching both Fire Master and Green Ninja off guard.

 _Homophobia? Does he think I'm being homophobic?_

The brunet shook his head and raised his hands in defence, all anger now replaced with shock. " _What?_ No! No, no, no, Cole, I'm not being homophobic–!"

"Then what is it?! You've already told me that Jason will perv on me– _no_. You've flat out told me that Jason _is_ perving on me. If you're so bothered about him, then go and talk to the guy!"

"No."

"What?"

"I said _no_." Kai folded his arms his chest and learnt more comfortablly against the wall near the door frame, watching sternly as Cole's expression dropped. "I don't wanna be anywhere near that scum bag. He's hurting you, Cole." He locked his glare with his. "I can see the fear in your eyes whenever he's around."

A silence was quick to consume them, including Lloyd.

The blond parted his lips as if to speak up, but he couldn't find the words. Neither could Cole.

Kai flicked his gaze between the two males, swallowing and licking his lips. "If something's going on, Cole… then you can tell us."

The Earth Master closed his eyes. Was he frustrated? Was he crying? Lloyd couldn't tell.

Cole let out a shuddered breath, opening his eyes slowly. They were glassy. "I'm going." Despite his efforts, Kai could see his pain. "Don't… don't follow me…" He kept his head low as he walked to the doorframe, halting when he brushed arms with Kai. "Incase you're wondering, I'm going to see Jason. He'll actually listen to me."

And with that he walked out.

Lloyd stared at Kai and shook his head disapprovingly. "You're awful."

"Don't you start." Kai shot him a dirty glare.

The younger narrowed his brows. "I'm not having a dig at you, Kai. I'm just saying that you've upset him. He's clearly pisseed off with your constant nagging, so why do you keep at it?"

"I can't say."

" _You can't say_. Wow. That's a great excuse. Good on you, Kai." Sarcasm dripped from his voice like venom.

"I'm serious. If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." His tone darkened.

Lloyd scoffed, leaning forwards. "Try me."

"I'm not telling you shit." Kai muttered.

"Fine. I don't care." The green ninja leapt up from the couch and bounded over to the brunet, punching him lightly in the arm. "You suck at hiding your emotions by the way." He stared at Kai similarly to how Kai had stares at Cole earlier, although more mockingly. "I can see the lust in your eyes whenever Cole's around…" He purred. "You shout at him, only to cover up your love for him. It's weird. Stop."

"Wha–"

"I'm going out for a bit. I'll leave you with your thoughts."


	19. Unexpected truths

_Knock knock._

"Let me in."

 _Knock knock knock knock._

"Hey, I know you're in there–!"

Somewhat aggressively the door was opened, revealing a pair of disinterested eyes. "What."

"We need to talk."

" _No_ we don't." The brunet growled.

"Let me in, dammit." The younger held a more firm tone. "The one time I go out of my way to see you, and you suddenly don't want me-"

"Fine." The door was opened fully as the taller male stepped aside. "Go sit on the couch."

* * *

Upon entering the room, the elder paused. Why wasn't he sitting down like he'd told him to? "Guess your ass still hurts, huh?"

Cole closed his eyes as he forced back his frustration. "Shut up." He locked eyes with him. "How does he know. How does Kai know."

Jason folded his arms over his chest irritably. "Know what?"

"About this, dammit!"

"I don't get what you're saying."

Cole clenched his fists at his side's slightly. "You know exactly what I mean."

A small huff of laughter escaped Jason's lips as they quirked upwards. "Okay, then." He took a step closer to the raven. "Hand on heart; I have no clue. The only thing he knows about is the whole stripper gig. He did witness it, after all."

"I feel like you're lying."

"Why?"

"I don't know." The black ninja inhaled angrily and chewed on his lip. "I just need to know. I just need some fucking answers."

"Sit." Jason gestured to the couch, remained stood as the younger obeyed. "I've told you, babe. I have no idea why he's doing this."

"He told me that you were perving on me."

"And?"

"I denied it of course. Lloyd was there, too." He inhaled. "It's so annoying."

Jason took a quick glance at his watch, tutting. "I've got time if you're in the mood."

"No… No, I'm fine." His figure tensed slightly. "I just wanted to know if you knew anything-" He stood up as if to leave, but was forced back down with a firm hand pushing his shoulder. The brunet stared at him.

"Stay." He licked his lips. "I'm lonely, babe. I just want to talk, nothing dirty."

"I really should go–"

"Please. I don't want to hurt you, I swear." He sounded desperate. "I just want to be a normal couple. _Please_. Please let me make this work."

Cole swallowed thickly. This was unnatural, seeing his lover so… so vulnerable. "You've ruined my life, Jason–"

"I know, and I'm sorry!" He joined the raven on the couch, grasping his smaller hands tightly in his own. "I need to show you what love is actually like, babe. I can't control myself sometimes and I hate it. I hate that I make you cry, and that I hurt you in the worst ways… It's painful for me, too, babe."

The Earth Master shuddered, his eyes beginning to sting. "I don't believe you. If you're so sorry, you wouldn't've gone out of your way to violate me."

The elder offered a weak, yet assuring smile. "I'm a scumbag. I know I've done wrong, and now I want to change it. I _love_ you, Cole, so, so, so much. Why can't you accept that I want to change? I want to be able to laugh and cuddle with you – to know that you aren't forcing back tears when we are close… please…"

Cole blinked as a few stray tears fell from his confused eyes, shaking his head slowly. "I-I don't know." He sniffed shakily. "I don't know if I can trust y-you."

Jason met his gaze with a promising smile and grazed his thumb over the younger's cheek, wiping away the tears. " _Please_. We both want to make this work… I can see it in your eyes, Cole~"

Cole didn't know what to say.

The couple's pants and heavy breaths distracted them from the silence, the taller male still holding his 'boyfriend's hands tightly.

A moment or so passed before anyone spoke.

"Okay…"

Jason stared at him questioningly.

"You seem genuine… so okay-" Before he could finish, he was pulled into a warm embrace, instantly relaxing and wrapping his arms around Jason's neck.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you~" He whispered, his voice cracking slightly from all the bottled up emotion.

Cole couldn't help but start to cry again. A sudden wash of relief had taken him off guard, tears of both shock and gratefulness soaking into the brunet's jacket.

Finally he was beginning to feel at ease.

* * *

 **I know this chapter is really short but it needed to be put in for obvious 'Jason-redemption' reasons + future plot stuff. I hope that was okay.**

 **Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	20. Bars and façades

"GRAB A DRINK, NYA!"

Nya opened her mouth as if to speak, brows narrowed, but closed it after contemplating. She watched as the elder slammed down a couple six-packs of beer, as well as some wine bottles, onto the kitchen's island, surprised as to how nothing broke. Hastily she made her way into the kitchen and over to the drinks, sighing. "What's… What's all this for, then?" She peered over her shoulder. "A-And no ''hello"?"

The brunet simply ignored her, the grin on his face growing wider. "It's a celebration!" He exclaimed, turning his attention to the entrance as the boys started filtering in.

Lloyd's eyes lit up upon seeing the alcohol, now intrigued. "Dareth, what's all this for?!"

Zane was quick to help hand out cans to everyone, the confused scowl at never left his face being priceless. Cole nudged Jay playfully in the arm, jabbing his head in Dareth's direction. "D'you reckon he's actually found a girlfriend?"

"God I hope so. It's getting annoying now." He whispered back, the two stifling a laugh.

"Well, my fellow ninja," The teen's exchanged glances at the comment. "I have been granted an opportunity that I have taken immediately! I'm low on money, you see, so I couldn't help but take whatever chances I got!–"

"Get on with it~" Kai teased, earning a snort from Lloyd.

"Okay! Uh, so you know I have the bar?" The group nodded. "And that the homo club was all fucked over?" Kai and Jay instantly shot a look at each other from the corner of their eyes, Jay gulping slightly. "Well they asked if they could use my bar! And that I'll get a share of the money! How great is that?!"

"That's actually really helpful for you, and for them." Nya smiled and clinked their cans together. "Good on you, Dareth."

"So that means that Jason can get his job back!" Lloyd spun around on his heel to face the raven stood behind him, bright eyes shining with joy. "He'll be so happy!"

Cole nodded, licking his lips somewhat nervously. "Y-Yeah. I'll be sure to tell him." He offered a smile, to which Lloyd returned and began conversation with Nya, Zane and Dareth. Kai closed his eyes as he took a long sip of his drink, his heart thumping considerably faster than earlier. Kiss was coming back… which meant that they would expect Cole to come back also. He sighed.

Jay could feel Cole shaking beside him, even if he tried to hide it. He'd picked up on his friend's odd habits now. He knew when Cole was trying to bottle up his emotions. He knew, whether the Earth Master liked it or not.

He noticed how Cole had put his hands in his hoodie's pockets upon hearing the news, most likely to hide his shaking hands. Small, little details that only Kai or himself would notice.

"So," Jay began, causing the raven to flinch slightly. He must've zoned out. "Guess that means you and Jason won't be able to see each other that much, huh?"

"Yep." He was clearly trying to avoid eye contact, the floor suddenly becoming extremely interesting. "What's your point?"

"Oh, nothing." The brunet assured almost too confidently. "Just wondering whether you'll survive, that's all."

Cole offered a huff of laughter. "Yeah, because being stuck with Kai for ages is a real treat. I'll just ask for a spare key. He has loads." His gaze peered over Jay's shoulder to glance over the Fire Master. "I'll just fuck off to his place if Kai gives me grief. And if I don't turn up to the Bounty at all, I'll be there. Probably asleep or watching TV."

"I guess it's helpful to have a place you can relax in." He smiled assuringly. "Lucky Bastard."

This time, Cole's laugh was genuine. "Christ, Jay."

"Nah I'm kidding. You go and take advantage of Jason's house as much as you want! I'd kill to have my own little relaxation area–"

"You do realise that we've got meditation rooms–"

"Kai, we're talking." Jay didn't remove his focus from Cole as he held up a finger to silence the red ninja. "Anyways. I'm about to use Dareth as an excuse to get drunk off my head. Would you care to join me?" The Lightning Master held out his hand.

Cole grinned as he took his friend's hand, a blush spreading over his cheeks and nose. "It would be my pleasure~" They two then clinked cans, trying their hardest not to fall into a fit of laughter.

* * *

"Hey… yeah, yeah… nothings wrong…"

Kai leaned against the mast quietly. Cole had his back to him, leaning comfortably on the rail with his phone to his ear.

"Have… Have you been told? A-About the club reopening?" The bruent watched intently as the shorter male shifted slightly. "You– Yeah, Yeah– I'm not lying, jeez, why would I make this up?–Yes, I swear." He paused momentarily. "I…" He held the phone closer. "Yes! Maybe… I don't know…what? Know, it's not because of you– Something… ugh, listen to me… thanks." He let out a shuddered breath. "The, uh, the night of the shooting… wh-when I was doing the private dances in the-the-the b-back," Cole swallowed, a hand running through his hair. Kai noticed that he had started shaking. "no…no,no,no, Jason, it was worse… some guy had a gun, and he-he kept touching me–" His breaths we're becoming strained and his words coming out in short, sharp whines, as he were forcing them out before he could break down. "I didn't do anything because I didn't want to expose myself–! I stopped him before he could… before he could actually r-r-rape m-me, bu-but he kept groping me and saying all the gross shit h-he wanted to do to m-me."

Kai felt a pit form in his stomach, the urge to throw up growing stronger and stronger. Cole got molested the night of the shooting?

 _"Where d'you get those bruises from?" Kai pointed at the raven's legs, specifically at his thighs._

 _He swallowed uncomfortably as he put down the box, sighing. "The fight."_

 _"Enemies don't go for the lower half of the body - you know this. So why…"_

 _"That's not always the case." Cole insisted, fidgeting slightly. "You can never predict an enemy's next move."_

He was correct.

Cole had lied to his face.

And now he was discussing it with Jason. Not him.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm alright. It was just the first time I'd been in that situation, ya know…? Uh… I think Kai nearly picked up on it…*sniff*…no, no I, uh, I lied. If I told him he would've found out about the whole Black Beauty thing… yeah… no one will, stop worrying." He let out a small, tired laugh. However, his tone suddenly turned worrisome. "Us? N-No I haven't said anything. After what you said earlier… I just know that I was in a shitty mental state… no, not-not because of you, uh, because of Kai… yeah, he's still trying to split us up." He sighed. "Of course I will. We're gonna stay together. Promise. Love you too… yeah, yeah, I know you're sorry. I forgive you, you idiot. Yeah, see ya later… love you."

The phone was lowered slowly and returned to his hoodie pocket.

He stood in silence, staring at the sky.

He sniffed.

Why was he looking upwards like that?

 _Oh no._

He licked his lips in defeat as a sudden stream of tears fell from his eyes, forcing him to collapse into the rail as he cried helplessly.

Kai raised his hands to his face and ran them through his hair, unsure what to do. Cole had to be faking this 'happy' relationship. It had to be a facade. No one just breaks down like that after speaking to their lover.

It wasn't long before the raven began wiping his tears, calming down, and beginging to dial a number into his phone. He coughed lightly into his fist as he raised the phone to his ear, exhaling.

"Uh, y-yeah. I heard about the reopening– oh, yeah, it's great news. I'm all up for working again. Yeah, Back Beauty– oh really? Wow, thanks, that's really flattering. Mmhm. Yep. Cool. Oh no, thank you. Yeah, you can just email me. Great. Thanks a lot! Cheers." And with that phone was, once again, placed in the hoodie pocket.


End file.
